Sample records for 3d laser scanner

One of the road blocks on the path of automated reverse engineering has been the extraction of useful data from the copious range data generated from 3-Dlaser scanning systems. A method to extract the relevant features of a scanned object is presented. A 3-Dlaserscanner is automatically directed to obtain discrete laser cloud data on each separate patch that constitutes the object's surface. With each set of cloud data treated as a separate entity, primitives are fitted to the data resulting in a geometric and topologic database. Using a feed-forewarn neural network, the data is analyzed for geometric combinations that make up machine features such as through holes and slots. These features are required for the reconstruction of the solid model by a machinist or feature based CAM algorithms, thus completing the reverse engineering cycle.

This paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) measurement method of large-scale objects by integrating a 3Dscanner and a laser rangefinder. The 3Dscanner, used to perform partial section measurement, is fixed on a robotic arm which can slide on a guide rail. The laser rangefinder, used to compute poses of the 3Dscanner, is rigidly connected to the 3Dscanner. During large-scale measurement, after measuring a partial section, the 3Dscanner is straightly moved forward along the guide rail to measure another section. Meanwhile, the poses of the 3Dscanner are estimated according to its moved distance for different partial section alignments. The performance and effectiveness are evaluated by experiments.

A design study for a compact 3Dscanner, called Coplan, is presented. The Coplan is intended to be used for high speed, in-line coplanarity and shape measurement of electronic components, like Ball Grid Arrays and Surface Mount Devices. The scanner should have a scan length of at least 2 inches and a resolution of 5 micrometers in all 3 dimensions. First an analysis of two different scan schemes is made: a so-called pre-objective scheme using an F-(theta) scan lens and a post- objective scheme using a so-called banana field flattener, consisting of a convex, cylindrical hyperbolic mirror and a concave, cylindrical parabolic mirror. Secondly, an analysis of height resolution requirements for triangulation and confocal depth sensing has been made. It is concluded that for both methods of depth sensing a synchronous scheme with a 50-60 degrees detection angle in cross scan direction is required. It is shown that a post-objective scheme consisting of a banana mirror system combined with triangulation height detection offers the best solution for the optical requirements.

A device for recreating three-dimensional (3D) objects on a computer is the surface laserscanner. By triangulating distances between the reflecting laser beam and the scanned surface, the surface laserscanner can detect not only an object's length and width but also its depth. The scanner's ease of use has opened various possibilities in laboratory research and clinical investigation. We assessed the reliability of generating 3D object reconstructions using the Minolta Vivid700 3D surface laserscanner (Minolta USA, Ramsey, NJ). Accuracy and reproducibility were tested on a geometrical calibrated cylinder, a dental study model, and a plaster facial model. Tests were conducted at varying distances between the object and the scanner. It was found that (1) in the calibrated cylinder tests, spatial distance measurement was accurate to 0.5 mm (+/- 0.1 mm) in the vertical dimension and 0.3 mm (+/- 0.3 mm) in the horizontal dimension; (2) in the study model test, molar width was accurate to 0.2 mm (+/- 0.1 mm, P >.05), and palatal vault depth could be measured to 0.7 mm (+/- 0.2 mm, P > 0.05); and (3) for the facial model, an accuracy of 1.9 +/- 0.8 mm was obtained. The findings suggest that the surface laserscanner has great research potential because of its accuracy and ease of use. Treatment changes, growth, surgical simulations, and many other orthodontic applications can be approached 3-dimensionally with this device.

Three-dimensional scanner or 3DScanner is a device to reconstruct the real object into digital form on a computer. 3DScanner is a technology that is being developed, especially in developed countries, where the current 3DScanner devices is the advanced version with a very expensive prices. This study is basically a simple prototype of 3DScanner with a very low investment costs. 3DScanner prototype device consists of a webcam, a rotating desk system controlled by a stepper motor and Arduino UNO, and a line laser. Objects that limit the research is the object with same radius from its center point (object pivot). Scanning is performed by using object profile imaging by line laser which is then captured by the camera and processed by a computer (image processing) using Octave software. On each image acquisition, the scanned object on a rotating desk rotated by a certain degree, so for one full turn multiple images of a number of existing side are finally obtained. Then, the profile of the entire images is extracted in order to obtain digital object dimension. Digital dimension is calibrated by length standard, called gage block. Overall dimensions are then digitally reconstructed into a three-dimensional object. Validation of the scanned object reconstruction of the original object dimensions expressed as a percentage error. Based on the results of data validation, horizontal dimension error is about 5% to 23% and vertical dimension error is about +/- 3%.

This paper describes and assesses for the first time the use of a handheld 3Dlaserscanner for scalp EEG sensor localization and co-registration with magnetic resonance images. Study on five subjects showed that the scanner had an equivalent accuracy, a better repeatability, and was faster than the reference electromagnetic digitizer. According to electrical source imaging, somatosensory evoked potentials experiments validated its ability to give precise sensor localization. With our automatic labeling method, the data provided by the scanner could be directly introduced in the source localization studies.

Portable 3Dlaserscanners are a valuable tool for compiling elaborate digital collections of archaeological objects and analysing the shapes and dimensions of pieces. Although low-cost desktop 3Dlaserscanners have powerful capacities, it is important to know their limitations. This paper performs an analysis of the uncertainty and repeatability of the NextEngine™ portable low-cost 3Dlaserscanner by scanning an object 20 times in two different resolution modes-Macro and Wide. Some dimensions of the object were measured using a digital calliper, and these results were used as the "true" or control data. In comparing the true and the scanned data, we verified that the mean uncertainty in the Macro Mode is approximately half that of the Wide Mode, at ± 0.81 mm and ± 1.66 mm, respectively. These experimental results are significantly higher than the accuracy specifications provided by the manufacturer. An analysis of repeatability shows that the successive replicates do not match in the same position. The results are better in Macro Mode than in Wide Mode; it is observed that the repeatability factor is slightly larger than the corresponding mode accuracy, with ± 0.84 vs. ± 0.81 mm in Macro Mode and ± 1.82 vs. ± 1.66 mm in Wide Mode. We suggest several improvements, such as adding an external reference scale or providing a calibrated object to allow for a self-calibration operation of the scanner.

Indoor space 3D visual reconstruction has many applications and, once done accurately, it enables people to conduct different indoor activities in an efficient manner. For example, an effective and efficient emergency rescue response can be accomplished in a fire disaster situation by using 3D visual information of a destroyed building. Therefore, an accurate Indoor Space 3D visual reconstruction system which can be operated in any given environment without GPS has been developed using a Human-Operated mobile cart equipped with a laserscanner, CCD camera, omnidirectional camera and a computer. By using the system, accurate indoor 3D Visual Data is reconstructed automatically. The obtained 3D data can be used for rescue operations, guiding blind or partially sighted persons and so forth.

Portable 3Dlaserscanners are a valuable tool for compiling elaborate digital collections of archaeological objects and analysing the shapes and dimensions of pieces. Although low-cost desktop 3Dlaserscanners have powerful capacities, it is important to know their limitations. This paper performs an analysis of the uncertainty and repeatability of the NextEngine™ portable low-cost 3Dlaserscanner by scanning an object 20 times in two different resolution modes—Macro and Wide. Some dimensions of the object were measured using a digital calliper, and these results were used as the “true” or control data. In comparing the true and the scanned data, we verified that the mean uncertainty in the Macro Mode is approximately half that of the Wide Mode, at ±0.81 mm and ±1.66 mm, respectively. These experimental results are significantly higher than the accuracy specifications provided by the manufacturer. An analysis of repeatability shows that the successive replicates do not match in the same position. The results are better in Macro Mode than in Wide Mode; it is observed that the repeatability factor is slightly larger than the corresponding mode accuracy, with ±0.84 vs. ±0.81 mm in Macro Mode and ±1.82 vs. ±1.66 mm in Wide Mode. We suggest several improvements, such as adding an external reference scale or providing a calibrated object to allow for a self-calibration operation of the scanner. PMID:23012532

Three-dimensional (3-D) recording of the surface of the human body or anatomical areas has gained importance in many medical specialties. Thus, it is important to determine scanner precision and accuracy in defined medical applications and to establish standards for the recording procedure. Here we evaluated the precision and accuracy of 3-D assessment of the facial area with the Minolta Vivid 910 3DLaserScanner. We also investigated the influence of factors related to the recording procedure and the processing of scanner data on final results. These factors include lighting, alignment of scanner and object, the examiner, and the software used to convert measurements into virtual images. To assess scanner accuracy, we compared scanner data to those obtained by manual measurements on a dummy. Less than 7% of all results with the scanner method were outside a range of error of 2 mm when compared to corresponding reference measurements. Accuracy, thus, proved to be good enough to satisfy requirements for numerous clinical applications. Moreover, the experiments completed with the dummy yielded valuable information for optimizing recording parameters for best results. Thus, under defined conditions, precision and accuracy of surface models of the human face recorded with the Minolta Vivid 910 3DScanner presumably can also be enhanced. Future studies will involve verification of our findings using test persons. The current findings indicate that the Minolta Vivid 910 3DScanner might be used with benefit in medicine when recording the 3-D surface structures of the face.

This paper deals with the co-registration of an MRI scan with EEG sensors. We set out to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3D handheld laserscanner, a device that is not widely used for co-registration, applying a semi-automatic procedure that also labels EEG sensors. The scanner acquired the sensors' positions and the face shape, and the scalp mesh was obtained from the MRI scan. A pre-alignment step, using the position of three fiducial landmarks, provided an initial value for co-registration, and the sensors were automatically labeled. Co-registration was then performed using an iterative closest point algorithm applied to the face shape. The procedure was conducted on five subjects with two scans of EEG sensors and one MRI scan each. The mean time for the digitization of the 64 sensors and three landmarks was 53 s. The average scanning time for the face shape was 2 min 6 s for an average number of 5,263 points. The mean residual error of the sensors co-registration was 2.11 mm. These results suggest that the laserscanner associated with an efficient co-registration and sensor labeling algorithm is sufficiently accurate, fast and user-friendly for longitudinal and retrospective brain sources imaging studies.

With modern 3Dlaserscanners we can acquire a large amount of 3D data in only a few minutes. This technology results in a growing number of applications ranging from the digitalization of historical artifacts to facial authentication. The modeling process demands a lot of time and work (Tim Volodine, 2007). In comparison with the other two stages, the acquisition and the registration, the degree of automation of the modeling stage is almost zero. In this paper, we propose a new surface reconstruction technique for buildings to process the data obtained by a 3Dlaserscanner. These data are called a point cloud which is a collection of points sampled from the surface of a 3D object. Such a point cloud can consist of millions of points. In order to work more efficiently, we worked with simplified models which contain less points and so less details than a point cloud obtained in situ. The goal of this study was to facilitate the modeling process of a building starting from 3Dlaserscanner data. In order to do this, we wrote two scripts for Rhinoceros 5.0 based on intelligent algorithms. The first script finds the exterior outline of a building. With a minimum of human interaction, there is a thin box drawn around the surface of a wall. This box is able to rotate 360° around an axis in a corner of the wall in search for the points of other walls. In this way we can eliminate noise points. These are unwanted or irrelevant points. If there is an angled roof, the box can also turn around the edge of the wall and the roof. With the different positions of the box we can calculate the exterior outline. The second script draws the interior outline in a surface of a building. By interior outline we mean the outline of the openings like windows or doors. This script is based on the distances between the points and vector characteristics. Two consecutive points with a relative big distance will form the outline of an opening. Once those points are found, the interior outline

Here a new set-up of a 3D-scanning system for CAD/CAM in dental industry is proposed. The system is designed for direct scanning of the dental preparations within the mouth. The measuring process is based on phase correlation technique in combination with fast fringe projection in a stereo arrangement. The novelty in the approach is characterized by the following features: A phase correlation between the phase values of the images of two cameras is used for the co-ordinate calculation. This works contrary to the usage of only phase values (phasogrammetry) or classical triangulation (phase values and camera image co-ordinate values) for the determination of the co-ordinates. The main advantage of the method is that the absolute value of the phase at each point does not directly determine the coordinate. Thus errors in the determination of the co-ordinates are prevented. Furthermore, using the epipolar geometry of the stereo-like arrangement the phase unwrapping problem of fringe analysis can be solved. The endoscope like measurement system contains one projection and two camera channels for illumination and observation of the object, respectively. The new system has a measurement field of nearly 25mm × 15mm. The user can measure two or three teeth at one time. So the system can by used for scanning of single tooth up to bridges preparations. In the paper the first realization of the intraoral scanner is described.

al. 2005). Background The highly accurate and dense point data (or point clouds ) captured by terrestrial 3Dlaserscanners, such as the Leica...intensity value. The sophisticated design of the scanner enables point clouds to be captured that 1...additional analyses. A ScanWorld can be defined as a collection of scanned point clouds that are derived from consecutive scans at the same scanner

The problem of obstacle detection and recognition or, generally, scene mapping is one of the most investigated problems in computer vision, especially in mobile applications. In this paper a fused optical system using depth information with color images gathered from the Microsoft Kinect sensor and 3Dlaser range scanner data is proposed for obstacle detection and ground estimation in real-time mobile systems. The algorithm consists of feature extraction in the laser range images, processing of the depth information from the Kinect sensor, fusion of the sensor information, and classification of the data into two separate categories: road and obstacle. Exemplary results are presented and it is shown that fusion of information gathered from different sources increases the effectiveness of the obstacle detection in different scenarios, and it can be used successfully for road surface mapping.

A laser hazard analysis and safety assessment was performed for the 3rd Tech model DeltaSphere-3000{reg_sign} Laser3D Scene Digitizer, infrared laserscanner model based on the 2000 version of the American National Standard Institute's Standard Z136.1, for the Safe Use of Lasers. The portable scanner system is used in the Robotic Manufacturing Science and Engineering Laboratory (RMSEL). This scanning system had been proposed to be a demonstrator for a new application. The manufacture lists the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD) as less than 2 meters. It was necessary that SNL validate this NOHD prior to its use as a demonstrator involving the general public. A formal laser hazard analysis is presented for the typical mode of operation for the current configuration as well as a possible modified mode and alternative configuration.

Non-contact measurement techniques using laser scanning have the power to deliver tremendous benefits to most notably manufacturing, and have the advantage of high speed and high detail output. However, a major obstacle to their widespread adoption in more complex on-line producing environments is their geometric constraints and low accuracy compared to the contact-based counterparts. The work presented in this paper introduces a performance evaluation test of laser line scanning for in-process inspection of 3D geometries. Some straightforward test methods that use a designed artifact are proposed. First, one work aims to experimentally investigate the location accuracy of knee point or corner point of edge features using a commercial laser stripe scanner, which is common in mechanical parts. Another work experimentally investigates the formation of outliers that may be usually promoted by reflective surfaces around surrounding area of corner point, and these outliers are characterized with large measurement errors, which significantly deteriorate the quality of the scanned point cloud data. Scanning path planning and outlier filter design are respectively discussed.

The volcanic/geothermal area of Pisciarelli is located within Campi Flegrei caldera .This last is a densely populated area, including the Pozzuoli town and bordering the western side of the Naples city, this causes a high vulnerability and consequently a high volcanic risk. In the recent decades this area has experienced minor ground uplift episodes accompanied by low magnitude seismicity and by strong intensification of degassing activity in particular localized at Pisciarelli area. We present the results of the Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS), using a Reigl VZ1000®, analysis of Pisciarelli area performed in June 2013 and the comparison with the data acquired later in March 2014. We apply the TLS technique based on Time of Flight (TOF) method in order to define an accurate 3D digital model for detailed analysis of this area performing numerous scans from different points of view in the area. In this ways was ensured a good coverage of the whole investigated area in order to avoid shaded portion due to the high soil degassing activity. Such fact limits the capacity of laser penetration is caused by wavelength near infrared range. For each survey was obtained a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from the reconstructed data and both were compared. In particular, we have identified two "critical" areas of interest that will be monitored more frequently. These are: 1) in the lower part of the studied area a major fault line that bounding the Agnano caldera moderately NE-dipping; 2) in the upper part of the study area a zone of depletion with its zone of accumulation. The DTM were georeferenced into the UTM-WGS84 reference frame. The aim of this work is to define a procedure to compare between 3D model applied to monitoring of this area. Also to evaluate of volumetric and morphologic changes and to recognizing unstable masses by comparison of 3D data. For this purpose other TLS surveys will be performed in the upcoming in this active volcanic/geothermal area.

At present, very little research has been devoted to investigating the ability of laser scanning technology to accurately measure height from surveillance video. The goal of this study was to test the accuracy of one particular laserscanner to estimate suspect height from video footage. The known heights of 10 individuals were measured using an anthropometer. The individuals were then recorded on video walking along a predetermined path in a simulated crime scene environment both with and without headwear. The difference between the known heights and the estimated heights obtained from the laserscanner software were compared using a one-way t-test. The height estimates obtained from the software were not significantly different from the known heights whether individuals were wearing headwear (p = 0.186) or not (p = 0.707). Thus, laser scanning is one technique that could potentially be used by investigators to determine suspect height from video footage.

Leaf water content (LWC) plays an important role in agriculture and forestry management. It can be used to assess drought conditions and wildfire susceptibility. Terrestrial laserscanner (TLS) data have been widely used in forested environments for retrieving geometrically-based biophysical parameters. Recent studies have also shown the potential of using radiometric information (backscatter intensity) for estimating LWC. However, the usefulness of backscatter intensity data has been limited by leaf surface characteristics, and incidence angle effects. To explore the idea of using LiDAR intensity data to assess LWC we normalized (for both angular effects and leaf surface properties) shortwave infrared TLS data (1550 nm). A reflectance model describing both diffuse and specular reflectance was applied to remove strong specular backscatter intensity at a perpendicular angle. Leaves with different surface properties were collected from eight broadleaf plant species for modeling the relationship between LWC and backscatter intensity. Reference reflectors (Spectralon from Labsphere, Inc.) were used to build a look-up table to compensate for incidence angle effects. Results showed that before removing the specular influences, there was no significant correlation (R2 = 0.01, P > 0.05) between the backscatter intensity at a perpendicular angle and LWC. After the removal of the specular influences, a significant correlation emerged (R2 = 0.74, P < 0.05). The agreement between measured and TLS-derived LWC demonstrated a significant reduction of RMSE (root mean square error, from 0.008 to 0.003 g/cm2) after correcting for the incidence angle effect. We show that it is possible to use TLS to estimate LWC for selected broadleaved plants with an R2 of 0.76 (significance level α = 0.05) at leaf level. Further investigations of leaf surface and internal structure will likely result in improvements of 3D LWC mapping for studying physiology and ecology in vegetation.

SYDESCO is a new 3D vision system developed for trunk surface topography. This structured light surface scanner uses the principle of triangulation-based range sensing to infer 3D shape. The complete trunk acquisition is fast (2 seconds). The accuracy of the metric data is ensured by a subpixel image detection and a calibration process, which rectifies image deformations. A preliminary study presents results on 50 children in a gymnastics school. These children, aged between eight to sixteen years, are particularly exposed to spinal deformities. An asymmetry index is calculated from the 3D data to detect the pathologic cases. These results have been compared to an independent medical diagnosis. The system results have been confirmed for 72,1% of the patients.

Three-dimensional recording of the surface of the human body or of certain anatomical areas has gained an ever increasing importance in recent years. When recording living surfaces, such as the human face, not only has a varying degree of surface complexity to be accounted for, but also a variety of other factors, such as motion artefacts. It is of importance to establish standards for the recording procedure, which will optimise results and allow for better comparison and validation. In the study presented here, the faces of five male test persons were scanned in different experimental settings using non-contact 3D digitisers, type Minolta Vivid 910). Among others, the influence of the number of scanners used, the angle of recording, the head position of the test person, the impact of the examiner and of examination time on accuracy and precision of the virtual face models generated from the scanner data with specialised software were investigated. Computed data derived from the virtual models were compared to corresponding reference measurements carried out manually between defined landmarks on the test persons' faces. We describe experimental conditions that were of benefit in optimising the quality of scanner recording and the reliability of three-dimensional surface imaging. However, almost 50% of distances between landmarks derived from the virtual models deviated more than 2mm from the reference of manual measurements on the volunteers' faces.

Accurate three-dimensional perception is a key technology for many engineering applications, including mobile mapping, obstacle detection and virtual reality. In this article, we present a hand-held embedded system designed for constructing 3D representation of structured indoor environments. Different from traditional vehicle-borne mobile mapping methods, the system presented here is capable of efficiently acquiring 3D data while an operator carrying the device traverses through the site. It consists of a simultaneous localization and mapping(SLAM) module, a 3D attitude estimate module and a point cloud processing module. The SLAM is based on a scan matching approach using a modern LIDAR system, and the 3D attitude estimate is generated by a navigation filter using inertial sensors. The hardware comprises three 2D time-flight laser range finders and an inertial measurement unit(IMU). All the sensors are rigidly mounted on a body frame. The algorithms are developed on the frame of robot operating system(ROS). The 3D model is constructed using the point cloud library(PCL). Multiple datasets have shown robust performance of the presented system in indoor scenarios.

A relatively new field of interest, which continuously gains grounds nowadays, is digital 3D modeling. However, the methodologies, the accuracy and the time and effort required to produce a high quality 3D model have been changing drastically the last few years. Whereas in the early days of digital 3D modeling, 3D models were only accessible to computer experts in animation, working many hours in expensive sophisticated software, today 3D modeling has become reasonably fast and convenient. On top of that, with online 3D modeling software, such as 123D Catch, nearly everyone can produce 3D models with minimum effort and at no cost. The only requirement is panoramic overlapping images, of the (still) objects the user wishes to model. This approach however, has limitations in the accuracy of the model. An objective of the study is to examine these limitations by assessing the accuracy of this 3D modeling methodology, with a Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS). Therefore, the scope of this study is to present and compare 3D models, produced with two different methods: 1) Traditional TLS method with the instrument ScanStation 2 by Leica and 2) Panoramic overlapping images obtained with DSLR camera and processed with 123D Catch free software. The main objective of the study is to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of the two 3D model producing methodologies. The area represented with the 3D models, features multi-scale folding in a cipollino marble formation. The most interesting part and most challenging to capture accurately, is an outcrop which includes vertically orientated micro folds. These micro folds have dimensions of a few centimeters while a relatively strong relief is evident between them (perhaps due to different material composition). The area of interest is located in Mt. Hymittos, Greece.

With the development of increasingly advanced airborne sensing systems, there is a growing need to support sensor system design, modeling, and product-algorithm development with explicit 3D structural ground truth commensurate to the scale of acquisition. Terrestrial laser scanning is one such technique which could provide this structural information. Commercial instrumentation to suit this purpose has existed for some time now, but cost can be a prohibitive barrier for some applications. As such we recently developed a unique laser scanning system from readily-available components, supporting low cost, highly portable, and rapid measurement of below-canopy 3D forest structure. Tools were developed to automatically reconstruct tree stem models as an initial step towards virtual forest scene generation. The objective of this paper is to assess the potential of this hardware/algorithm suite to reconstruct 3D stem information for a single scan of a New England hardwood forest site. Detailed tree stem structure (e.g., taper, sweep, and lean) is recovered for trees of varying diameter, species, and range from the sensor. Absolute stem diameter retrieval accuracy is 12.5%, with a 4.5% overestimation bias likely due to the LiDAR beam divergence.

The laser scanning is a technology that allows in a short time to run the relief geometric objects with a high level of detail and completeness, based on the signal emitted by the laser and the corresponding return signal. When the incident laser radiation hits the object to detect, then the radiation is reflected. The purpose is to build a three-dimensional digital model that allows to reconstruct the reality of the object and to conduct studies regarding the design, restoration and/or conservation. When the laserscanner is equipped with a digital camera, the result of the measurement process is a set of points in XYZ coordinates showing a high density and accuracy with radiometric and RGB tones. In this case, the set of measured points is called “point cloud” and allows the reconstruction of the Digital Surface Model. Even the post-processing is usually performed by closed source software, which is characterized by Copyright restricting the free use, free and open source software can increase the performance by far. Indeed, this latter can be freely used providing the possibility to display and even custom the source code. The experience started at the Faculty of Engineering in Catania is aimed at finding a valuable free and open source tool, MeshLab (Italian Software for data processing), to be compared with a reference closed source software for data processing, i.e. RapidForm. In this work, we compare the results obtained with MeshLab and Rapidform through the planning of the survey and the acquisition of the point cloud of a morphologically complex statue.

This paper is focused on the automatic construction of 3D basic-semantic models of inhabited interiors using laserscanners with the help of RFID technologies. This is an innovative approach, in whose field scarce publications exist. The general strategy consists of carrying out a selective and sequential segmentation from the cloud of points by means of different algorithms which depend on the information that the RFID tags provide. The identification of basic elements of the scene, such as walls, floor, ceiling, windows, doors, tables, chairs and cabinets, and the positioning of their corresponding models can then be calculated. The fusion of both technologies thus allows a simplified 3D semantic indoor model to be obtained. This method has been tested in real scenes under difficult clutter and occlusion conditions, and has yielded promising results.

This paper is focused on the automatic construction of 3D basic-semantic models of inhabited interiors using laserscanners with the help of RFID technologies. This is an innovative approach, in whose field scarce publications exist. The general strategy consists of carrying out a selective and sequential segmentation from the cloud of points by means of different algorithms which depend on the information that the RFID tags provide. The identification of basic elements of the scene, such as walls, floor, ceiling, windows, doors, tables, chairs and cabinets, and the positioning of their corresponding models can then be calculated. The fusion of both technologies thus allows a simplified 3D semantic indoor model to be obtained. This method has been tested in real scenes under difficult clutter and occlusion conditions, and has yielded promising results. PMID:22778609

A new scanner geometry for fast optical cone-beam computed tomography is reported. The system consists of a low power laser beam, raster scanned, under computer control, through a transparent object in a refractive index matching aquarium. The transmitted beam is scattered from a diffuser screen and detected by a photomultiplier tube. Modest stray light is present in the projection images since only a single ray is present in the object during measurement and there is no imaging optics to introduce further stray light in the form of glare. A scan time of 30 minutes was required for 512 projections with a field of view of 12 × 18 cm. Initial performance from scanning a 15 cm diameter jar with black solutions is presented. Averaged reconstruction coefficients are within 2% along the height of the jar and within the central 85% of diameter, due to the index mismatch of the jar. Agreement with spectrometer measurements was better than 0.5% for a minimum transmission of 4% and within 4% for a dark, 0.1% transmission sample. This geometry's advantages include high dynamic range and low cost of scaling to larger (>15 cm) fields of view.

Quasi-simultaneous laser transmission welding is a well-known joining technique for thermoplastics and mainly used in the automotive as well as in the medical industry. For process control usually the so called set-path monitoring is used, where the weld is specified as "good" if the irradiation time is inside a defined confidence interval. However, the detection of small-sized gaps or thermal damaged zones is not possible with this technique. The analyzation of the weld seam temperature during welding offers the possibility to overcome this problem. In this approach a 3D-scanner is used instead of a scanner with flat-field optic. By using a pyrometer in combination with a 3D-scanner no color-corrected optic is needed in order to provide that laser- and detection-spot are concentric. Experimental studies on polyethylene T-joints have shown that the quality of the signal is adequate, despite the use of an optical setup with a long working distance and a small optical aperture. The effects on temperature are studied for defects like a gap in the joining zone. Therefore a notch was milled into the absorbent polymer. In case of producing housings for electronic parts the effect of an electrical wire between the joining partners is also investigated. Both defects can be identified by a local temperature deviation even at a feed rate of four meters per second. Furthermore a strategy for signal-processing is demonstrated. By this, remaining defects can be identified. Consequently an online detection of local defects is possible, which makes a dynamic process control feasible.

Toward future 3D image communication, we have started studying the Multimedia Ambiance Communication, a kind of shared-space communication, and adopted an approach to design the 3D-image space using actual images of outdoor scenery, by introducing the concept of the three-layer model of long-, mid- and short-range views. The long- and mid-range views do not require precise representation of their 3D structure, and hence we employ the setting representation like stage settings to approximate their 3D structure according to the slanting-plane-model. We deal with an approach to produce the consistent setting representation for describing long- and mid-range views from range and texture data measured with a laserscanner and a digital camera located at multiple viewpoints. The production of such a representation requires the development of several techniques: nonlinear smoothing of raw range data, plane segmentation of range data, registration of multi-viewpoint range data, integration of multi-viewpoint setting representations and texture mapping onto each setting plane. In this paper, we concentrate on the plane segmentation and the multi-viewpoint data registration. Our plane segmentation method is based on the concept of the region competition, and can precisely extract fitting planes from the range data. Our registration method uses the equations of the segmented planes corresponding between two different viewpoints to determine the 3D Euclidean transformation between them. A unifying consistent setting representation can be constructed by integrating multiple setting representations for multiple viewpoints.

Indonesia is a country with many volcanoes. Each volcano in Indonesia typically has its own crater characteristics. One of them is the Mt.Talaga Bodas, located in Garut, West Java. Researches regarding the crater characteristics are necessary for volcanic disaster mitigation process. One of them is the modelling of the shape of the crater. One of the methods that can be used to model the volcanic crater is using Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS). This research aims to create a 3 dimensional (3D) model of the crater of the Mt. Talaga Bodas, that hopefully can be utilized for volcanic disaster mitigation. The methodology used in this research is by obtaining the scanning data using TLS and GPS measurements to obtain the coordinates of the reference points. The data processing methods consist of several steps, namely target to target registration, filterization, georeference, meshing point cloud, surface making, drawing, and 3D modelling. These steps were done using the Cyclone 7 software, and also using 3DS MAX for 3D modelling. The result of this data processing is a 3D model of the crater of the Mt. Talaga Bodas which is similar with the real shape. The calculation result shows that the height of the crater is 62.522 m, the diameter of the crater is 467.231 m, and the total area is 2961054.652 m2. The main obstacle in this research is the dense vegetation which becomes the noise and affects the crater model.

This work presents a comparative study between multi-view 3D reconstruction using various digital cameras and a terrestrial laserscanner (TLS). Five different digital cameras were used in order to estimate the limits related to the camera type and to establish the minimum camera requirements to obtain comparable results to the ones of the TLS. The cameras used for this study range from commercial grade to professional grade and included a GoPro Hero 1080 (5 Mp), iPhone 4S (8 Mp), Panasonic Lumix LX5 (9.5 Mp), Panasonic Lumix ZS20 (14.1 Mp) and Canon EOS 7D (18 Mp). The TLS used for this work was a FARO Focus 3Dlaserscanner with a range accuracy of ±2 mm. The study area is a small rock wall of about 6 m height and 20 m length. The wall is partly smooth with some evident geological features, such as non-persistent joints and sharp edges. Eight control points were placed on the wall and their coordinates were measured by using a total station. These coordinates were then used to georeference all models. A similar number of images was acquired from a distance of between approximately 5 to 10 m, depending on field of view of each camera. The commercial software package PhotoScan was used to process the images, georeference and scale the models, and to generate the dense point clouds. Finally, the open-source package CloudCompare was used to assess the accuracy of the multi-view results. Each point cloud obtained from a specific camera was compared to the point cloud obtained with the TLS. The latter is taken as ground truth. The result is a coloured point cloud for each camera showing the deviation in relation to the TLS data. The main goal of this study is to quantify the quality of the multi-view 3D reconstruction results obtained with various cameras as objectively as possible and to evaluate its applicability to geotechnical problems.

A two-dimensional (2D) polymer based scanning mirror with magnetic actuation is developed for imaging applications. Proposed device consists of a circular suspension holding a rectangular mirror and can generate a 2D scan pattern. Three dimensional (3D) printing technology which is used for implementation of the device, offers added flexibility in controlling the cross-sectional profile as well as the stress distribution compared to the traditional planar process technologies. The mirror device is developed to meet a portable, miniaturized confocal microscope application in mind, delivering 4.5 and 4.8 degrees of optical scan angles at 111 and 267 Hz, respectively. As a result of this mechanical performance, the resulting microscope incorporating the mirror is estimated to accomplish a field of view (FOV) of 350 µm × 350 µm.

Surface reconstruction is an important task in the field of 3d-GIS, computer aided design and computer graphics (CAD & CG), virtual simulation and so on. Based on available incremental surface reconstruction methods, a feature-constrained surface reconstruction approach for point cloud is presented. Firstly features are extracted from point cloud under the rules of curvature extremes and minimum spanning tree. By projecting local sample points to the fitted tangent planes and using extracted features to guide and constrain the process of local triangulation and surface propagation, topological relationship among sample points can be achieved. For the constructed models, a process named consistent normal adjustment and regularization is adopted to adjust normal of each face so that the correct surface model is achieved. Experiments show that the presented approach inherits the convenient implementation and high efficiency of traditional incremental surface reconstruction method, meanwhile, it avoids improper propagation of normal across sharp edges, which means the applicability of incremental surface reconstruction is greatly improved. Above all, appropriate k-neighborhood can help to recognize un-sufficient sampled areas and boundary parts, the presented approach can be used to reconstruct both open and close surfaces without additional interference.

Using three dimensional point clouds from both simulated and real datasets from close and terrestrial laserscanners, the rotational and translational convergence regions of Geometric Primitive Iterative Closest Points (GP-ICP) are empirically evaluated. The results demonstrate the GP-ICP has a larger rotational convergence region than the existing methods, e.g., the Iterative Closest Point (ICP).

Many applications, like mobile robotics, can profit from acquiring dense, wide-ranging and accurate 3Dlaser data. Off-the-shelf 2D scanners are commonly customized with an extra rotation as a low-cost, lightweight and low-power-demanding solution. Moreover, aligning the extra rotation axis with the optical center allows the 3D device to maintain the same minimum range as the 2D scanner and avoids offsets in computing Cartesian coordinates. The paper proposes a practical procedure to estimate construction misalignments based on a single scan taken from an arbitrary position in an unprepared environment that contains planar surfaces of unknown dimensions. Inherited measurement limitations from low-cost 2D devices prevent the estimation of very small translation misalignments, so the calibration problem reduces to obtaining boresight parameters. The distinctive approach with respect to previous plane-based intrinsic calibration techniques is the iterative maximization of both the flatness and the area of visible planes. Calibration results are presented for a case study. The method is currently being applied as the final stage in the production of a commercial 3D rangefinder.

Many applications, like mobile robotics, can profit from acquiring dense, wide-ranging and accurate 3Dlaser data. Off-the-shelf 2D scanners are commonly customized with an extra rotation as a low-cost, lightweight and low-power-demanding solution. Moreover, aligning the extra rotation axis with the optical center allows the 3D device to maintain the same minimum range as the 2D scanner and avoids offsets in computing Cartesian coordinates. The paper proposes a practical procedure to estimate construction misalignments based on a single scan taken from an arbitrary position in an unprepared environment that contains planar surfaces of unknown dimensions. Inherited measurement limitations from low-cost 2D devices prevent the estimation of very small translation misalignments, so the calibration problem reduces to obtaining boresight parameters. The distinctive approach with respect to previous plane-based intrinsic calibration techniques is the iterative maximization of both the flatness and the area of visible planes. Calibration results are presented for a case study. The method is currently being applied as the final stage in the production of a commercial 3D rangefinder. PMID:25347585

understanding of background phenomenology with respect to minefields (Jackson et al. 2005). Background The highly accurate and dense point data (or point clouds ) captured...coordinates, each having an associated RGB color and intensity value. The sophisticated design of the scanner enables point clouds to be captured that Named...scanned point clouds that are derived from consecutive scans at the same scanner location. The ScanWorlds were aligned together to form a referenced

The detection and correction of malocclusions and other dental abnormalities is a significant area of work in orthodontic diagnosis. To assess the quality of occlusion between the teeth the orthodontist has to estimate distances between specific points located on the teeth of both arches. Distance measuring is based on the observation, by the orthodontist, of a plaster model of the mouth. Gathering of information required to make the diagnosis is a time consuming and costly operation. On the other hand, obtaining and manipulation of plaster casts constitute a huge problem in clinics, due to both the large space needed and high costs associated with plaster casts manufacturing. For this problem we present a new system for three-dimensional orthodontic treatment planning and movement of teeth. We describe a computer vision technique for the acquisition and processing of three-dimensional images of the profile of hydrocolloids dental imprints taken by mean of a own developed 3Dlaserscanner. Profile measurement is based on the triangulation method which detects deformation of the projection of a laser line on the dental imprints. The system is computer-controlled and designed to achieve depth and lateral resolutions of 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm, respectively, within a depth range of 40 mm. The developed diagnosis software system (named MAGALLANES) and the 3Dlaserscanner (named 3DENT) are both commercially available and have been designed to replace manual measurement methods, which use costly plaster models, with computer measurements methods and teeth movement simulation using cheap hydrocolloid dental wafers. This procedure will reduce the cost and acquisition time of orthodontic data and facilitate the conduct of epidemiological studies.

Our purpose in this case report is to present an orthodontic treatment obtained and the results achieved in 17-year-old white female patient with Angle Class II malocclusion and bilateral posterior crossbite. Patient was treated with bonded acrylic Hyrax appliance and surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME). The multiloop system 0.16 TMA (ß titanium) arch wire was used in the alignment phase and on purpose to prohibit bite opening and optimize threedimensional movement control. After treatment bonded lingual retainers were placed in between maxillary central incisors and in mandible canine-to-canine. A functional removable Klammt appliance was used for retention. The 3DLaserScanner Roland LPX-250 was used in order to obtain digital dental casts. Evaluation of the treatment results was measured on these models and using finite element scaling analysis (FESA). An Angle Class I relationship was obtained after 2½ years of treatment, function and facial aesthetics were improved. The shape of the palate changed significant in the width direction, not significantly in length and high direction. The greatest expansion of palate was found in the region between the palatal cusps of the first molars 26.6%, followed by first 21.9% and second premolars 16.5%. SARME in adult patients with bilateral cross bite and maxillary deficiency lead to satisfactory results. The 3Dlaser scanned models and their measurements, using advanced software's are successfully used for precise studies.

Economical laserscanner assembled from commercially available components, modulates and scans focused laser beam over area up to 5.1 by 5.1 cm. Scanner gives resolution comparable to that of conventional television. Device is highly applicable to area of analog and digital storage and retrieval.

A common limitation of laser line three-Dimensional (3D) scanners is the inability to scan objects with surfaces that are either parallel to the laser line or that self-occlude. Filling in missing areas adds some unwanted inaccuracy to the 3D model. Capturing the human head with a Cyberware PS Head Scanner is an example of obtaining a model where the incomplete areas are difficult to fill accurately. The PS scanner uses a single vertical laser line to illuminate the head and is unable to capture data at top of the head, where the line of sight is tangent to the surface, and under the chin, an area occluded by the chin when the subject looks straight forward. The Cyberware PX Scanner was developed to obtain this missing 3D head data. The PX scanner uses two cameras offset at different angles to provide a more detailed head scan that captures surfaces missed by the PS scanner. The PX scanner cameras also use new technology to obtain color maps that are of higher resolution than the PS Scanner. The two scanners were compared in terms of amount of surface captured (surface area and volume) and the quality of head measurements when compared to direct measurements obtained through standard anthropometry methods. Relative to the PS scanner, the PX head scans were more complete and provided the full set of head measurements, but actual measurement values, when available from both scanners, were about the same.

There are many possibilities for the use of three-dimensional (3D) scanners in maxillofacial surgery. This study aimed to investigate whether the bundling and syncing of two 3Dscanners has advantages over single-scanner acquisition in terms of scan quality and the time required to scan an object. Therefore, the speed and precision of 3D data acquisition with one scanner versus two synced scanners was measured in 30 subjects. This was done by analyzing the results obtained by scanning test objects attached to the forehead and cheeks of the subjects. Statistical methods included the Student t test for paired samples. Single-scanner recording resulted in significantly lower mean error of measurement than synced recording with two scanners for length (P < 0.001), all frontal/lateral plane angles (P = 0.034, P < 0.001, P = 0.002, P = 0.003), and side/side plane angles (P = 0.014, P < 0.001, P = 0.015, P = 0.011) of the test object on the cheek. Likewise, the single-scanner method resulted in a significantly lowermean error of measurement than the two-scanner method for frontal/lower plane angles (P < 0.001), right/lower plane angles (P < 0.001), and left/lower plane angles (P = 0.002). Conversely, synced recording of data with two scanners resulted in a significant reduction of scanning time (P < 0.001). Compared to data acquisition with a single 3Dscanner, the bundling of two 3Dscanners resulted in faster scanning times but lower scan quality.

Laserscanners are used more and more in mobile mapping systems. They provide 3D point clouds that are used for object reconstruction and registration of the system. For both of those applications, uncertainty analysis of 3D points is of great interest but rarely investigated in the literature. In this paper we present a complete pipeline that takes into account all the sources of uncertainties and allows to compute a covariance matrix per 3D point. The sources of uncertainties are laserscanner, calibration of the scanner in relation to the vehicle and direct georeferencing system. We suppose that all the uncertainties follow the Gaussian law. The variances of the laserscanner measurements (two angles and one distance) are usually evaluated by the constructors. This is also the case for integrated direct georeferencing devices. Residuals of the calibration process were used to estimate the covariance matrix of the 6D transformation between scannerlaser and the vehicle system. Knowing the variances of all sources of uncertainties, we applied uncertainty propagation technique to compute the variance-covariance matrix of every obtained 3D point. Such an uncertainty analysis enables to estimate the impact of different laserscanners and georeferencing devices on the quality of obtained 3D points. The obtained uncertainty values were illustrated using error ellipsoids on different datasets.

Laser scanning technology is one of the most integral parts of today's scientific research, manufacturing, defense, and biomedicine. In many applications, high-speed scanning capability is essential for scanning a large area in a short time and multi-dimensional sensing of moving objects and dynamical processes with fine temporal resolution. Unfortunately, conventional laserscanners are often too slow, resulting in limited precision and utility. Here we present a new type of laserscanner that offers ∼1,000 times higher scan rates than conventional state-of-the-art scanners. This method employs spatial dispersion of temporally stretched broadband optical pulses onto the target, enabling inertia-free laser scans at unprecedented scan rates of nearly 100 MHz at 800 nm. To show our scanner's broad utility, we use it to demonstrate unique and previously difficult-to-achieve capabilities in imaging, surface vibrometry, and flow cytometry at a record 2D raster scan rate of more than 100 kHz with 27,000 resolvable points. PMID:22685627

Laser scanning technology is one of the most integral parts of today's scientific research, manufacturing, defense, and biomedicine. In many applications, high-speed scanning capability is essential for scanning a large area in a short time and multi-dimensional sensing of moving objects and dynamical processes with fine temporal resolution. Unfortunately, conventional laserscanners are often too slow, resulting in limited precision and utility. Here we present a new type of laserscanner that offers ∼1,000 times higher scan rates than conventional state-of-the-art scanners. This method employs spatial dispersion of temporally stretched broadband optical pulses onto the target, enabling inertia-free laser scans at unprecedented scan rates of nearly 100 MHz at 800 nm. To show our scanner's broad utility, we use it to demonstrate unique and previously difficult-to-achieve capabilities in imaging, surface vibrometry, and flow cytometry at a record 2D raster scan rate of more than 100 kHz with 27,000 resolvable points.

With the first whole-body 3Dscanner now available the next adventure confronting the user is what to do with all of the data. While the system was built for anthropologists, it has created interest among users from a wide variety of fields. Users with applications in the fields of anthropology, costume design, garment design, entertainment, VR and gaming have a need for the data in formats unique to their fields. Data from the scanner is being converted to solid models for art and design and NURBS for computer graphics applications. Motion capture has made scan data move and dance. The scanner has created a need for advanced application software just as other scanners have in the past.

The study and purchase of a three-dimensional laserscanner for a number of diverse metrology tasks at SLAC will be covered. Specifications including range, accuracy, scan density, resolution, field of view and more are discussed and the results of field tests and demonstrations by four potential vendors is covered. This will include details on the scanning of accelerator components in a now defunct ring on site and how the instruments compare.

Cartilage morphology change is an important biomarker for the progression of osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of in vivo cartilage thickness measurements from MR image-based 3D cartilage models using a laser scanning method and to test if the accuracy changes with cartilage thickness. Three-dimensional tibial cartilage models were created from MR images (in-plane resolution of 0.55 mm and thickness of 1.5 mm) of osteoarthritic knees of ten patients prior to total knee replacement surgery using a semi-automated B-spline segmentation algorithm. Following surgery, the resected tibial plateaus were laser scanned and made into 3D models. The MR image and laser-scan based models were registered to each other using a shape matching technique. The thicknesses were compared point wise for the overall surface. The linear mixed-effects model was used for statistical test. On average, taking account of individual variations, the thickness measurements in MRI were overestimated in thinner (<2.5 mm) regions. The cartilage thicker than 2.5 mm was accurately predicted in MRI, though the thick cartilage in the central regions was underestimated. The accuracy of thickness measurements in the MRI-derived cartilage models systemically varied according to native cartilage thickness.

Quality control is a necessary component of the slate slab manufacturing process so as to evaluate defects as defined by the current standard for slate. Quality control has traditionally been performed manually by an expert in the field, with the consequent human subjectivity. We studied the feasibility of using a 3Dlaserscanner to measure slate slabs and analyze possible defects that would lead to the rejection of slabs for particular industrial processes. The application requires slate characterization to be performed in real time and thereby requires a short computation time. We describe an optimized calibration method based on Tsai's approach that reduces calculation complexity and cost in this key 3Dlaser scanning stage. Configured and implemented for slate slab characterization, the system produces the required information in real time during the production process.

We present a new endoscopic 3D scanning system based on Single Shot Structured Light. The proposed design makes it possible to build an extremely small scanner. The sensor head contains a catadioptric camera and a pattern projection unit. The paper describes the working principle and calibration procedure of the sensor. The prototype sensor head has a diameter of only 3.6mm and a length of 14mm. It is mounted on a flexible shaft. The scanner is designed for tubular cavities and has a cylindrical working volume of about 30mm length and 30mm diameter. It acquires 3D video at 30 frames per second and typically generates approximately 5000 3D points per frame. By design, the resolution varies over the working volume, but is generally better than 200μm. A prototype scanner has been built and is evaluated in experiments with phantoms and biological samples. The recorded average error on a known test object was 92μm.

For almost seven years we have been mapping geology digitally using a combination of laser rangefinding and GPS. We have extended that concept to add unique real photo texture mapping. This is a unique method combining computer visualization and photogrammetry and has been used to build 3D photo real models at millimeter to centimeter accuracy and resolution of a variety of 3D features especially extensive geologic outcrops in the US, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom, and Mexico. Although the method is independent of the type of laser rangefinder being used we presently are using fast laserscanners for faster and more detailed models although these data sets are then extremely large resulting in hardware and software problems for users. These models are globally oriented so they can be integrated with other globally positioned data sets such as drill holes, geophysical surveys (seismic and ground penetrating radar), and conventional geologic mapping (stratigraphic sections, outcrop mapping of contacts and orientations.) etc. Three dimensional measurements such as strikes, dips and thicknesses are extracted by fitting surfaces to digitized lines in 3D space defining the intersection of a boundary or fracture/fault with the surface, allowing quantitative measurements with associated statistics. The models have incorporated data from as many as one hundred close range oblique photos (taken from the ground or helicopters etc.) and 60 terrestrial scans over a single site, and laterally over several kilometers. We have also applied the method to processing air photos, using the terrestrial scanners for the terrain model ( at a few centimeters), control from GPS and the commercially acquired air photos for the real photo texture mapping for a fully realized 3D orthophoto. We use the term "real photos" rather than "photorealistic" because the latter has been used for models with texture surfaces that are "like the real" but not the "real" photo surface whereas our approach

This paper proposes a three-dimensional scanner system, which is built by using an ingenious geometric construction method based on monocular vision. The system is simple, low cost, and easy to use, and the measurement results are very precise. To build it, one web camera, one handheld linear laser, and one background calibration board are required. The experimental results show that the system is robust and effective, and the scanning precision can be satisfied for normal users.

In the Summer of 2004 a request for proposals went out to potential vendors to offer a three-dimensional laserscanner for a number of unique metrology tasks at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). Specifications were established including range, accuracy, scan density, resolution and field of view in consideration of anticipated department requirements. Four vendors visited the site to present their system and they were asked to perform three unique tests with their system on a two day visit to SLAC. Two of the three tests were created to emulate real-world applications at SLAC while the third was an accuracy and resolution series of experiments. The scope of these tests is presented and some of the vendor's results are included.

Imagine for a moment that you have to solve a 3D jigsaw of which you have lost several pieces. You have also lost the original box-top showing the final picture, and as if that were not enough, some of the pieces you do have may belong to some other jigsaw. This is in essence the sort of challenge that we faced in the novel project that we shall be describing in this paper. The final aim of the project was, with the help of 3Dscanners, to digitalize and reconstruct multi-piece classical sculptures. Particularly, we tackle the restitution of the so-called “Aeneas Group”, a famous iconographic reference during the Roman Empire. We have undertaken this ambitious project in collaboration with the research department of the Spanish National Museum of Roman Art (MNAR). This paper summarizes the real problems that arose and had to be solved, the innovations, and the main results of the work that we have carried out over these recent years. PMID:22164088

Performance analysis of a commercial three-dimensional (3-D) dose mapping system based on optical CT scanning of polymer gels is presented. The system consists of BANG 3 polymer gels (MGS Research, Inc., Madison, CT), OCTOPUS laser CT scanner (MGS Research, Inc., Madison, CT), and an in-house developed software for optical CT image reconstruction and 3-D dose distribution comparison between the gel, film measurements and the radiation therapy treatment plans. Various sources of image noise (digitization, electronic, optical, and mechanical) generated by the scanner as well as optical uniformity of the polymer gel are analyzed. The performance of the scanner is further evaluated in terms of the reproducibility of the data acquisition process, the uncertainties at different levels of reconstructed optical density per unit length and the effects of scanning parameters. It is demonstrated that for BANG 3 gel phantoms held in cylindrical plastic containers, the relative dose distribution can be reproduced by the scanner with an overall uncertainty of about 3% within approximately 75% of the radius of the container. In regions located closer to the container wall, however, the scanner generates erroneous optical density values that arise from the reflection and refraction of the laser rays at the interface between the gel and the container. The analysis of the accuracy of the polymer gel dosimeter is exemplified by the comparison of the gel/OCT-derived dose distributions with those from film measurements and a commercial treatment planning system (Cadplan, Varian Corporation, Palo Alto, CA) for a 6 cm x 6 cm single field of 6 MV x rays and a 3-D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) plan. The gel measurements agree with the treatment plans and the film measurements within the "3%-or-2 mm" criterion throughout the usable, artifact-free central region of the gel volume. Discrepancies among the three data sets are analyzed.

The Jesuit Missions the Guaranis were one of the great examples of cultural, social, and scientific of the eighteenth century, which had its decline from successive wars that followed the exchange of territories domain occupied by Portugal and Spain with the Madrid Treaty of January 13, 1750. One of the great examples of this development is materialized in the ruins of 30 churches and villages that remain in a territory that now comprises part of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. These Churches, São Miguel das Missões is among the Brazilian ruins, the best preserved. The ruins of São Miguel das Missões were declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1983 and the Institute of National Historical Heritage (IPHAN) is the Brazilian Federal agency that manages and maintains this heritage. In order to produce a geographic database to assist the IPHAN in the management of the Ruins of São Miguel das Missões it was proposed a three-dimensional mapping of these ruins never performed in this location before. The proposal is integrated data acquired from multiple sensors: two micro-UAV, an Asctec Falcon 8 (rotary wing) and a Sensefly e-Bee (fixed wing); photos from terrestrial cameras; two terrestrial LIDAR sensors, one Faro Focus 3D S-120 and Optec 3D-HD ILRIS. With this abundance of sensors has been possible to perform comparisons and integration of the acquired data, and produce a 3D reconstruction of the church with high completeness and accuracy (better than 25 mm), as can be seen in the presentation of this work.

We propose bilateral total body irradiation (TBI) utilizing a 3D printer and a 3D optical scanner. We acquired surface information of an anthropomorphic phantom with the 3Dscanner and fabricated the 3D compensator with the 3D printer, which could continuously compensate for the lateral missing tissue of an entire body from the beam's eye view. To test the system's performance, we measured doses with optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs) as well as EBT3 films with the anthropomorphic phantom during TBI without a compensator, conventional bilateral TBI, and TBI with the 3D compensator (3D TBI). The 3D TBI showed the most uniform dose delivery to the phantom. From the OSLD measurements of the 3D TBI, the deviations between the measured doses and the prescription dose ranged from -6.7% to 2.4% inside the phantom and from -2.3% to 0.6% on the phantom's surface. From the EBT3 film measurements, the prescription dose could be delivered to the entire body of the phantom within ±10% accuracy, except for the chest region, where tissue heterogeneity is extreme. The 3D TBI doses were much more uniform than those of the other irradiation techniques, especially in the anterior-to-posterior direction. The 3D TBI was advantageous, owing to its uniform dose delivery as well as its efficient treatment procedure.

This CLVS will provide a substantial advance in high speed computer vision performance to support robotic Environmental Management (EM) operations. This 3D system employs a compact fiber optic based scanner and operator at a 128 x 128 pixel frame at one frame per second with a range resolution of 1 mm over its 1.5 meter working range. Using acousto-optic deflectors, the scanner is completely randomly addressable. This can provide live 3D monitoring for situations where it is necessary to update once per second. This can be used for decontamination and decommissioning operations in which robotic systems are altering the scene such as in waste removal, surface scarafacing, or equipment disassembly and removal. The fiber- optic coherent laser radar based system is immune to variations in lighting, color, or surface shading, which have plagued the reliability of existing 3D vision systems, while providing substantially superior range resolution.

Computed tomography (CT) scanners are expensive imaging devices, often out of reach for small research groups. Designing and building a CT scanner from modular components is possible, and this article demonstrates that realization of a CT scanner from components is surprisingly easy. However, the high costs of a modular X-ray source and detector limit the overall cost savings. In this article, the possibility of building a CT scanner with available surplus X-ray parts is discussed, and a practical device is described that incurred costs of less than $16,000. The image quality of this device is comparable with commercial devices. The disadvantage is that design constraints imposed by the available components lead to slow scan speeds and a resolution of 0.5 mm. Despite these limitations, a device such as this is attractive for imaging studies in the biological and biomedical sciences, as well as for advancing CT technology itself.

Application of current 3-Dlaser scanning systems to reverse engineering is limited by two obstacles. The meticulous guidance of the laserscanner over the surface of the object being scanned and the segmentation of the cloud data which is collected by the laserscanner. Presently, both obstacles are being manually solved. The guidance of the laser scanning sensor at the correct surface to sensor distance is dependent on operator judgement and the segmentation of the collected data is reliant on the user to manually define surface boundaries on a computer screen. By applying a 2-D CCD camera, both of these problems can be resolved. Depth information on the location of the object surface can be derived from a pair of stereo images from the CCD camera. Using this depth information, the scanner path can be automatically calculated. Segmentation of the object surface can be accomplished by employing a Kohonen neural network into the CCD image. Successful segmentation of the image is conditional on the locations selected to start neural nodes as well as the prevention of the neuron connectors from bleeding onto neighboring patches. Thus the CCD camera allows for the automatic path planning of the laserscanner as well as the segmentation of the surface into patches defined along its natural boundaries.

Performance analysis of a modified 3D dosimetry optical scanner based on the first generation optical CT scanner OCTOPUS is presented. The system consists of PRESAGE dosimeters, the modified 3Dscanner, and a new developed in-house user control panel written in Labview program which provides more flexibility to optimize mechanical control and data acquisition technique. The total scanning time has been significantly reduced from initial 8 h to ∼2 h by using the modified scanner. The functional performance of the modified scanner has been evaluated in terms of the mechanical integrity uncertainty of the data acquisition process. Optical density distribution comparison between the modified scanner, OCTOPUS and the treatment plan system has been studied. It has been demonstrated that the agreement between the modified scanner and treatment plans is comparable with that between the OCTOPUS and treatment plans.

Performance analysis of a modified 3D dosimetry optical scanner based on the first generation optical CT scanner OCTOPUS is presented. The system consists of PRESAGE™ dosimeters, the modified 3Dscanner, and a new developed in-house user control panel written in Labview program which provides more flexibility to optimize mechanical control and data acquisition technique. The total scanning time has been significantly reduced from initial 8 h to ∼2 h by using the modified scanner. The functional performance of the modified scanner has been evaluated in terms of the mechanical integrity uncertainty of the data acquisition process. Optical density distribution comparison between the modified scanner, OCTOPUS and the treatment plan system has been studied. It has been demonstrated that the agreement between the modified scanner and treatment plans is comparable with that between the OCTOPUS and treatment plans.

This article presents a concept of reconstruction of 3-D objects using non-invasive and touch loss techniques. The principle of this method is to display parallel interference optical fringes on an object and then to record the object under two angles of view. According to an appropriated treatment one reconstructs the 3-D object even when the object has no symmetrical plan. The 3-D surface data is available immediately in digital form for computer- visualization and for analysis software tools. The optical set-up for recording the 3-D object, the 3-D data extraction and treatment, as well as the reconstruction of the 3-D object are reported and commented on. This application is dedicated for reconstructive/cosmetic surgery, CAD, animation and research purposes.

A three-dimensional laserscanner can be used as a tool for design and problem solving in technology education. A hands-on experience can enhance learning by captivating students' interest and empowering them with creative tools. (Author/JOW)

Recent advances in fiber optic component technology and digital processing components have enabled the development of a new 3D vision system based upon a fiber optic FMCW coherent laser radar. The approach includes a compact scanner with no moving parts capable of randomly addressing all pixels. The system maintains the immunity to lighting and surface shading conditions which is characteristic of coherent laser radar. The random pixel addressability allows concentration of scanning and processing on the active areas of a scene, as is done by the human eye-brain system.

The use of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) techniques for the printing of functional materials has been demonstrated for numerous applications. The printing gives rise to patterns, which can be used to fabricate planar interconnects. More recently, various groups have demonstrated electrical interconnects from laser-printed 3D structures. The laser printing of these interconnects takes place through aggregation of voxels of either molten metal or of pastes containing dispersed metallic particles. However, the generated 3D structures do not posses the same metallic conductivity as a bulk metal interconnect of the same cross-section and length as those formed by wire bonding or tab welding. An alternative is to laser transfer entire 3D structures using a technique known as lase-and-place. Lase-and-place is a LIFT process whereby whole components and parts can be transferred from a donor substrate onto a desired location with one single laser pulse. This paper will describe the use of LIFT to laser print freestanding, solid metal foils or beams precisely over the contact pads of discrete devices to interconnect them into fully functional circuits. Furthermore, this paper will also show how the same laser can be used to bend or fold the bulk metal foils prior to transfer, thus forming compliant 3D structures able to provide strain relief for the circuits under flexing or during motion from thermal mismatch. These interconnect "ridges" can span wide gaps (on the order of a millimeter) and accommodate height differences of tens of microns between adjacent devices. Examples of these laser printed 3D metallic bridges and their role in the development of next generation electronics by additive manufacturing will be presented.

UV laser has been widely used in various micromachining such as micro-scribing or patterning processing. At present, most of the semiconductors, LEDs, photovoltaic solar panels and touch panels industries need the UV laser processing system. However, most of the UV laser processing applications in the industries utilize two dimensional (2D) plane processing. And there are tremendous business opportunities that can be developed, such as three dimensional (3D) structures of micro-electromechanical (MEMS) sensor or the precision depth control of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films edge insulation in touch panels. This research aims to develop a UV laser3D micromachining module that can create the novel applications for industries. By special designed beam expender in optical system, the focal point of UV laser can be adjusted quickly and accurately through the optical path control lens of laser beam expender optical system. Furthermore, the integrated software for galvanometric scanner and focal point adjustment mechanism is developed as well, so as to carry out the precise 3D microstructure machining.

This study introduces a charge coupled device (CCD) area detector based optical-computed tomography (optical-CT) scanner for comprehensive verification of radiation dose distributions recorded in nonscattering radiochromic dosimeters. Defining characteristics include: (i) a very fast scanning time of ~5 min to acquire a complete three-dimensional (3D) dataset, (ii) improved image formation through the use of custom telecentric optics, which ensures accurate projection images and minimizes artifacts from scattered and stray-light sources, and (iii) high resolution (potentially 50 μm) isotropic 3D dose readout. The performance of the CCD scanner for 3D dose readout was evaluated by comparison with independent 3D readout from the single laser beam OCTOPUS™-scanner for the same PRESAGE™ dosimeters. The OCTOPUS™ scanner was considered the “gold standard” technique in light of prior studies demonstrating its accuracy. Additional comparisons were made against calculated dose distributions from the ECLIPSE treatment-planning system. Dose readout for the following treatments were investigated: (i) a single rectangular beam irradiation to investigate small field and very steep dose gradient dosimetry away from edge effects, (ii) a 2-field open beam parallel-opposed irradiation to investigate dosimetry along steep dose gradients, and (iii) a 7-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) irradiation to investigate dosimetry for complex treatment delivery involving modulation of fluence and for dosimetry along moderate dose gradients. Dose profiles, dose-difference plots, and gamma maps were employed to evaluate quantitative estimates of agreement between independently measured and calculated dose distributions. Results indicated that dose readout from the CCD scanner was in agreement with independent gold-standard readout from the OCTOPUS™-scanner as well as the calculated ECLIPSE dose distribution for all treatments, except in regions within a few

This study introduces a charge coupled device (CCD) area detector based optical-computed tomography (optical-CT) scanner for comprehensive verification of radiation dose distributions recorded in nonscattering radiochromic dosimeters. Defining characteristics include: (i) a very fast scanning time of approximately 5 min to acquire a complete three-dimensional (3D) dataset, (ii) improved image formation through the use of custom telecentric optics, which ensures accurate projection images and minimizes artifacts from scattered and stray-light sources, and (iii) high resolution (potentially 50 microm) isotropic 3D dose readout. The performance of the CCD scanner for 3D dose readout was evaluated by comparison with independent 3D readout from the single laser beam OCTOPUS-scanner for the same PRESAGE dosimeters. The OCTOPUS scanner was considered the "gold standard" technique in light of prior studies demonstrating its accuracy. Additional comparisons were made against calculated dose distributions from the ECLIPSE treatment-planning system. Dose readout for the following treatments were investigated: (i) a single rectangular beam irradiation to investigate small field and very steep dose gradient dosimetry away from edge effects, (ii) a 2-field open beam parallel-opposed irradiation to investigate dosimetry along steep dose gradients, and (iii) a 7-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) irradiation to investigate dosimetry for complex treatment delivery involving modulation of fluence and for dosimetry along moderate dose gradients. Dose profiles, dose-difference plots, and gamma maps were employed to evaluate quantitative estimates of agreement between independently measured and calculated dose distributions. Results indicated that dose readout from the CCD scanner was in agreement with independent gold-standard readout from the OCTOPUS-scanner as well as the calculated ECLIPSE dose distribution for all treatments, except in regions within a few

Optical 3-D imagers constitute a family of precision and useful instruments, easily available on the market in a wide variety of configurations and performances. However, besides their cost they usually provide an image of the object (i.e. a more or less faithful representation of the reality) instead of a truly object's reconstruction. Depending on the detailed working principles of the equipment, this reconstruction may become a challenging task. Here a very simple yet reliable device is described; it is able to form images of opaque objects by illuminating them with an optical fibre and collecting the reflected light with another fibre. Its 3-D capability comes from the spatial filtering imposed by the fibres together with their movement (scanning) along the three directions: transversal (surface) and vertical. This unsophisticated approach allows one to model accurately the entire optical process and to perform the desired reconstruction, finding that information about the surface which is of interest: its profile and its reflectance, ultimately related to the type of material.

Visidyne, Inc., teaming with Sandia National Laboratories, has developed the preliminary design for an innovative scannerless 3-Dlaser radar capable of acquiring, tracking, and determining the coordinates of small caliber projectiles in flight with sufficient precision, so their origin can be established by back projecting their tracks to their source. The design takes advantage of the relatively large effective cross-section of a bullet at optical wavelengths. Kay to its implementation is the use of efficient, high- power laser diode arrays for illuminators and an imaging laser receiver using a unique CCD imager design, that acquires the information to establish x, y (angle-angle) and range coordinates for each bullet at very high frame rates. The detection process achieves a high degree of discrimination by using the optical signature of the bullet, solar background mitigation, and track detection. Field measurements and computer simulations have been used to provide the basis for a preliminary design of a robust bullet tracker, the Counter Sniper 3-DLaser Radar. Experimental data showing 3-D test imagery acquired by a lidar with architecture similar to that of the proposed Counter Sniper 3-D Lidar are presented. A proposed Phase II development would yield an innovative, compact, and highly efficient bullet-tracking laser radar. Such a device would meet the needs of not only the military, but also federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations.

The automated magazines are beeing used at industry more and more. One of the problems related with the automation of a Store House is the identification of the products envolved. Already used for stock management, the Bar Codes allows an easy way to identify one product. Applied to automated magazines, the bar codes allows a great variety of items in a small code. In order to be used by the national producers of automated magazines, a devoted laserscanner has been develloped. The Prototype uses an He-Ne laser whose beam scans a field angle of 75 degrees at 16 Hz. The scene reflectivity is transduced by a photodiode into an electrical signal, which is then binarized. This digital signal is the input of the decodifying program. The machine is able to see barcodes and to decode the information. A parallel interface allows the comunication with the central unit, which is responsible for the management of automated magazine.

Laser-based materials processing techniques are gaining widespread use in micro-manufacturing applications. The use of laser microfabrication techniques enables the processing of micro- and nanostructures from a wide range of materials and geometries without the need for masking and etching steps commonly associated with photolithography. This review aims to describe the broad applications space covered by laser-based micro- and nanoprocessing techniques and the benefits offered by the use of lasers in micro-manufacturing processes. Given their non-lithographic nature, these processes are also referred to as laser direct-write and constitute some of the earliest demonstrations of 3D printing or additive manufacturing at the microscale. As this review will show, the use of lasers enables precise control of the various types of processing steps—from subtractive to additive—over a wide range of scales with an extensive materials palette. Overall, laser-based direct-write techniques offer multiple modes of operation including the removal (via ablative processes) and addition (via photopolymerization or printing) of most classes of materials using the same equipment in many cases. The versatility provided by these multi-function, multi-material and multi-scale laser micro-manufacturing processes cannot be matched by photolithography nor with other direct-write microfabrication techniques and offer unique opportunities for current and future 3D micro-manufacturing applications.

To increase the understanding of how the plant phenotype is formed by genotype and environmental interactions, simple and robust high-throughput plant phenotyping methods should be developed and considered. This would not only broaden the application range of phenotyping in the plant research community, but also increase the ability for researchers to study plants in their natural environments. By studying plants in their natural environment in high temporal resolution, more knowledge on how multiple stresses interact in defining the plant phenotype could lead to a better understanding of the interaction between plant responses and epigenetic regulation. In the present paper, we evaluate a commercial 3D NIR-laserscanner (PlantEye, Phenospex B.V., Herleen, The Netherlands) to track daily changes in plant growth with high precision in challenging environments. Firstly, we demonstrate that the NIR laser beam of the scanner does not affect plant photosynthetic performance. Secondly, we demonstrate that it is possible to estimate phenotypic variation amongst the growth pattern of ten genotypes of Brassica napus L. (rapeseed), using a simple linear correlation between scanned parameters and destructive growth measurements. Our results demonstrate the high potential of 3Dlaser triangulation for simple measurements of phenotypic variation in challenging environments and in a high temporal resolution. PMID:26066990

To increase the understanding of how the plant phenotype is formed by genotype and environmental interactions, simple and robust high-throughput plant phenotyping methods should be developed and considered. This would not only broaden the application range of phenotyping in the plant research community, but also increase the ability for researchers to study plants in their natural environments. By studying plants in their natural environment in high temporal resolution, more knowledge on how multiple stresses interact in defining the plant phenotype could lead to a better understanding of the interaction between plant responses and epigenetic regulation. In the present paper, we evaluate a commercial 3D NIR-laserscanner (PlantEye, Phenospex B.V., Herleen, The Netherlands) to track daily changes in plant growth with high precision in challenging environments. Firstly, we demonstrate that the NIR laser beam of the scanner does not affect plant photosynthetic performance. Secondly, we demonstrate that it is possible to estimate phenotypic variation amongst the growth pattern of ten genotypes of Brassica napus L. (rapeseed), using a simple linear correlation between scanned parameters and destructive growth measurements. Our results demonstrate the high potential of 3Dlaser triangulation for simple measurements of phenotypic variation in challenging environments and in a high temporal resolution.

This study introduces a charge coupled device (CCD) area detector based optical-computed tomography (optical-CT) scanner for comprehensive verification of radiation dose distributions recorded in nonscattering radiochromic dosimeters. Defining characteristics include: (i) a very fast scanning time of {approx}5 min to acquire a complete three-dimensional (3D) dataset, (ii) improved image formation through the use of custom telecentric optics, which ensures accurate projection images and minimizes artifacts from scattered and stray-light sources, and (iii) high resolution (potentially 50 {mu}m) isotropic 3D dose readout. The performance of the CCD scanner for 3D dose readout was evaluated by comparison with independent 3D readout from the single laser beam OCTOPUS-scanner for the same PRESAGE dosimeters. The OCTOPUS scanner was considered the 'gold standard' technique in light of prior studies demonstrating its accuracy. Additional comparisons were made against calculated dose distributions from the ECLIPSE treatment-planning system. Dose readout for the following treatments were investigated: (i) a single rectangular beam irradiation to investigate small field and very steep dose gradient dosimetry away from edge effects, (ii) a 2-field open beam parallel-opposed irradiation to investigate dosimetry along steep dose gradients, and (iii) a 7-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) irradiation to investigate dosimetry for complex treatment delivery involving modulation of fluence and for dosimetry along moderate dose gradients. Dose profiles, dose-difference plots, and gamma maps were employed to evaluate quantitative estimates of agreement between independently measured and calculated dose distributions. Results indicated that dose readout from the CCD scanner was in agreement with independent gold-standard readout from the OCTOPUS-scanner as well as the calculated ECLIPSE dose distribution for all treatments, except in regions within a few millimeters of

Most of low cost 3D scanning devices that are nowadays available on the market are sold without a user calibration procedure to correct measurement errors related to changes in environmental conditions. In addition, there is no specific international standard defining a procedure to check the performance of a 3Dscanner along time. This paper aims at detailing a thorough methodology to calibrate a 3Dscanner and assess its measurement uncertainty. The proposed procedure is based on the use of a reference ball plate and applied to a triangulation laserscanner. Experimental results show that the metrological performance of the instrument can be greatly improved by the application of the calibration procedure that corrects systematic errors and reduces the device's measurement uncertainty.

Surface mapping systems have attracted great attention due to their potential applications in many areas. In this paper, a simple 3Dscanner based on ultrasonic sensor was designed for mapping a contour of object surface. The scanner using an SRF02 ultrasonic sensor, a microcontroller and radio frequency (RF) module to collect coordinates of object surface (point cloud), and sent data to computer. The point cloud collection process was performed by moving two ultrasonic sensors in y and x directions. Both sensors measure a distance from an object surface to a reference point of each sensor. The measurement results represent the point cloud of object surface and the data will be sent to computer via RF module. The point cloud then converted to 3D model using MATLAB. It was found that the object contours can be reconstructed very well by the developed 3Dscanner system.

Purpose: The objective of this work is to introduce a prototype fan-beam optical computed tomography scanner for three-dimensional (3D) radiation dosimetry. Methods: Two techniques of fan-beam creation were evaluated: a helium-neon laser (HeNe, {lambda} = 543 nm) with line-generating lens, and a laser diode module (LDM, {lambda} = 635 nm) with line-creating head module. Two physical collimator designs were assessed: a single-slot collimator and a multihole collimator. Optimal collimator depth was determined by observing the signal of a single photodiode with varying collimator depths. A method of extending the dynamic range of the system is presented. Two sample types were used for evaluations: nondosimetric absorbent solutions and irradiated polymer gel dosimeters, each housed in 1 liter cylindrical plastic flasks. Imaging protocol investigations were performed to address ring artefacts and image noise. Two image artefact removal techniques were performed in sinogram space. Collimator efficacy was evaluated by imaging highly opaque samples of scatter-based and absorption-based solutions. A noise-based flask registration technique was developed. Two protocols for gel manufacture were examined. Results: The LDM proved advantageous over the HeNe laser due to its reduced noise. Also, the LDM uses a wavelength more suitable for the PRESAGE{sup TM} dosimeter. Collimator depth of 1.5 cm was found to be an optimal balance between scatter rejection, signal strength, and manufacture ease. The multihole collimator is capable of maintaining accurate scatter-rejection to high levels of opacity with scatter-based solutions (T < 0.015%). Imaging protocol investigations support the need for preirradiation and postirradiation scanning to reduce reflection-based ring artefacts and to accommodate flask imperfections and gel inhomogeneities. Artefact removal techniques in sinogram space eliminate streaking artefacts and reduce ring artefacts of up to {approx}40% in magnitude. The

We extend the concept of intrinsic localization from a theoretical one-dimensional (1D) solution onto a 2D manifold that is embedded in a 3D space, and then recover the full six degrees of freedom for a mobile laserscanner with a simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm (SLAM). By intrinsic localization, we mean that no reference coordinate system, such as global navigation satellite system (GNSS), nor inertial measurement unit (IMU) are used. Experiments are conducted with a 2D laserscanner mounted on a rolling prototype platform, VILMA. The concept offers potential in being extendable to other wheeled platforms.

A technique for electrode production within diamond using a femtosecond laser system is described. Diagnosis tests to quantify the stress, the diamond to graphite ratio, and the resistivity of these electrodes are discussed. A 3D electronic grade single crystal diamond detector produced using this technique is shown, and the electrodes have a resistivity of O(1 Ω cm). An improvement to the technique through the use of an adaptive wavefront shows a reduction of the diamond to graphite ratio, and smaller, higher quality electrodes were manufactured.

This thesis deals with the 3D modeling phase of the as-built large BIM projects. Among several means of BIM data capturing, such as photogrammetric or range tools, laserscanners have been one of the most efficient and practical tool for a long time. They can generate point clouds with high resolution for 3D models that meet nowadays' market demands. The current 3D modeling projects of as-built BIMs are mainly focused on using one type of laserscanner data, such as Airborne or Terrestrial. According to the literatures, no significant (few) efforts were made towards the fusion of heterogeneous laserscanner data despite its importance. The importance of the fusion of heterogeneous data arises from the fact that no single type of laser data can provide all the information about BIM, especially for large BIM projects that are existing on a large area, such as university buildings, or Heritage places. Terrestrial laserscanners are able to map facades of buildings and other terrestrial objects. However, they lack the ability to map roofs or higher parts in the BIM project. Airborne laserscanner on the other hand, can map roofs of the buildings efficiently and can map only small part of the facades. Short range laserscanners can map the interiors of the BIM projects, while long range scanners are used for mapping wide exterior areas in BIM projects. In this thesis the long range laserscanner data obtained in the Stop-and-Go mapping mode, the short range laserscanner data, obtained in a fully static mapping mode, and the airborne laser data are all fused together to bring a complete effective solution for a large BIM project. Working towards the 3D modeling of BIM projects, the thesis framework starts with the registration of the data, where a new fast automatic registration algorithm were developed. The next step is to recognize the different objects in the BIM project (classification), and obtain 3D models for the buildings. The last step is the development of an

The characterization of commercial 3Dscanners allows acquiring precise and useful data. The accuracy of range and, more recently, color for 3Dscanners is usually studied separately, but when the 3Dscanner is based on structured light with a color coding pattern, color influence on range accuracy should be investigated. The commercial product that we have tested has the particularity that it can acquire data under ambient light instead of a controlled environment as it is with most available scanners. Therefore, based on related work in the literature and on experiments we have done on a variety of standard illuminants, we have designed an interesting setup to control illuminant interference. Basically, the setup consists of acquiring the well-known Macbeth ColorChecker under a controlled environment and also ambient daylight. The results have shown variations with respect to the color. We have performed several statistical studies to show how the range results evolve with respect to the RGB and the HSV channels. In addition, a systematic noise error has also been identified. This noise depends on the object color. A subset of colors shows strong noise errors while other colors have minimal or even no systematic error under the same illuminant.

Optical CT scanners for a 3D readout of externally irradiated radiosensitive hydrogels currently require the use of a refractive index (RI) matching liquid bath to obtain suitable optical ray paths through the gel sample to the detector. The requirement for a RI matching liquid bath has been negated by the design of a plastic cylindrical gel container that provides parallel beam geometry through the gel sample for the majority of the projection. The design method can be used for various hydrogels. Preliminary test results for the prototype laser beam scanner with ferrous xylenol-orange gel show geometric distortion of 0.2 mm maximum, spatial resolution limited to beam spot size of about 0.4 mm and 0.8% noise (1 SD) for a uniform irradiation. Reconstruction of a star pattern irradiated through the cylinder walls demonstrates the suitability for external beam applications. The extremely simple and cost-effective construction of this optical CT scanner, together with the simplicity of scanning gel samples without RI matching fluid increases the feasibility of using 3D gel dosimetry for clinical external beam dose verifications.

The hand-held 3Dlaserscanner sold in the market is appealing for its port and convenient to use, but price is expensive. To develop such a system based cheap devices using the same principles as the commercial systems is impossible. In this paper, a simple hand-held 3Dlaserscanner is developed based on a volume reconstruction method using cheap devices. Unlike convenient laserscanner to collect point cloud of an object surface, the proposed method only scan few key profile curves on the surface. Planar section curve network can be generated from these profile curves to construct a volume model of the object. The details of design are presented, and illustrated by the example of a complex shaped object.

As crime prevention and national security remain a top priority, requirements for the use of fingerprints for identification continue to grow. While the size of fingerprint databases continues to expand, new technologies that can improve accuracy and ultimately matching performance will become more critical to maintain the effectiveness of the systems. FlashScan3D has developed non-contact, fingerprint scanners based on the principles of Structured Light Illumination (SLI) that capture 3Dimensional data of fingerprints quickly, accurately and independently of an operator. FlashScan3D will present findings from various research projects performed for the US Army and the Department of Homeland Security.

Retrieval of basic soil parameters such as bulk density and soil moisture from soil samples is a costly and time-consuming activity. Although indirect methods (heat or electromagnetic probes, radar backscatter, etc) are abundant, field truth measurement of soil parameters will remain important, if only to calibrate these other methods. We present a quick, field mountable setup to make 3D scans of surfaces up to 30 x 30 cm using a Kinect 3Dscanner. By making scans before and after samples are taken, parameters such as bulk density and moisture content can easily be calculated.

This study aims to compare three different structured light scanner systems to generate accurate 3D human face models. Among these systems, the most dense and expensive one was denoted as the reference and the other two that were low cost and low resolution were compared according to the reference system. One female face and one male face were scanned with three light scanner systems. Point-cloud filtering, mesh generation, and hole-filling steps were carried out using a trial version of commercial software; moreover, the data evaluation process was realized using CloudCompare open-source software. Various filtering and mesh smoothing levels were applied on reference data to compare with other low-cost systems. Thus, the optimum reduction level of reference data was evaluated to continue further processes. The outcome of the presented study shows that low-cost structured light scanners have a great potential for 3D object modeling, including the human face. A considerable cheap structured light system has been used due to its capacity to obtain spatial and morphological information in the case study of 3D human face modeling. This study also discusses the benefits and accuracy of low-cost structured light systems.

A fusion technique which combines two different types of sensory data for 3-D modeling of a navigation space is presented. The sensory data is generated by a vision camera and a laserscanner. The problem of different resolutions for these sensory data was solved by reduced image resolution, fusion of different data, and use of a fuzzy image segmentation technique.

Three-dimensional (3D) surface anthropometry enables us to extend the study to 3D geometry and morphology of mainly external human body tissues. A model is presented for estimation of human body surface area (BSA), which is identical in form to the one proposed in 1916 by DuBois and DuBois is presented. The purpose of this study is to measure BSA, using 3Dscanner, and to derive a simple BSA estimation formula for the Chinese adults. In as little as 12s, the Chang Gung Whole-Body Scanner (CGWBS) allows you to capture the shape of the entire human body. The total error in BSA measurement due to scanning measurement and software computational error is less than 1%. The 3D anthropometric measures in a healthy population (n=3951) were investigated, and the results were used to derive a BSA estimation formula. The results seem to be comparable to previous data that measured BSA using traditional methods. The BSA estimation model of this study also validated using 300 new measurements along with the formulae proposed in previous researches. The result suggests that our formula better fits our adults.

Recently, laser scanning has been receiving greater attention as a useful tool for real-time 3D data acquisition, and various applications such as city modelling, DTM generation and 3D modelling of cultural heritage sites have been proposed. And, former digital data processing were demanded in the past digital archive techniques for cultural heritage sites. However, robust filtering method for distinguishing on- and off-terrain points by terrestrial laserscanner still have many issues. In the past investigation, former digital data processing using air-bone laserscanner were reported. Though, efficient tree removal methods from terrain points for the cultural heritage are not considered. In this paper, authors describe a new robust filtering method for cultural heritage using terrestrial laserscanner with "the echo digital processing technology" as latest data processing techniques of terrestrial laserscanner.

The detection of body movements during MR examination could help in reducing motion artifacts or to get patient responses during functional magnetic resonance. It can be supported by a slit scanner, that combines a camera with a light stripe projector to obtain 3D coordinates of points forming the external surface of the body. In this work we propose a slit scanner prototype based on a miniaturized projector without moving parts. Just small sized hardware is required to analyze the video signal, operating in time domain instead of spatial domain. To accomplish this, the camera is placed with its pixel columns as more parallel as possible to the projected light stripes and the camera video signal is analyzed by a resistor transistor logic after analog processing.

Cuneiform is an ancient form of writing in which wooden reeds were used to impress shapes upon moist clay tablets. Upon drying, the tablets preserved the written script with remarkable accuracy and durability. There are currently hundreds of thousands of cuneiform tablets spread throughout the world in both museums and private collections. The global scale of these artifacts presents several problems for scholars who wish to study them. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain access to a given collection. In addition, photographic records of the tablets many times prove to be inadequate for proper examination. Photographs lack the ability to alter the lighting conditions and view direction. As a solution to these problems, we describe a 3Dscanner capable of acquiring the shape, color, and reflectance of a tablet as a complete 3D object. This data set could then be stored in an online library and manipulated by suitable rendering software that would allow a user to specify any view direction and lighting condition. The scanner utilizes a camera and telecentric lens to acquire images of the tablet under varying controlled illumination conditions. Image data are processed using photometric stereo and structured light techniques to determine the tablet shape; color information is reconstructed from primary color monochrome image data. The scanned surface is sampled at 26.8 μm lateral spacing and the height information is calculated on a much smaller scale. Scans of adjacent tablet sides are registered together to form a 3D surface model.

The 3Dscanner of the Kinect game controller can be used to increase the accuracy and efficiency of determining in situ soil moisture content. Soil moisture is one of the principal hydrological variables in both the water and energy interactions between soil and atmosphere. Current in situ measurements of soil moisture either rely on indirect measurements (of electromagnetic constants or heat capacity) or on physically taking a sample and weighing it in a lab. The bottleneck in accurately retrieving soil moisture using samples is the determining of the volume of the sample. Currently this is mostly done by the very time consuming "sand cone method" in which the volume were the sample used to sit is filled with sand. We show that 3Dscanner that is part of the $150 game controller extension "Kinect" can be used to make 3D scans before and after taking the sample. The accuracy of this method is tested by scanning forms of known volume. This method is less time consuming and less error-prone than using a sand cone.

The 3Dscanner of the Kinect game controller can be used to increase the accuracy and efficiency of determining in situ soil moisture content. Soil moisture is one of the principal hydrological variables in both the water and energy interactions between soil and atmosphere. Current in situ measurements of soil moisture either rely on indirect measurements (of electromagnetic constants or heat capacity) or on physically taking a sample and weighing it in a lab. The bottleneck in accurately retrieving soil moisture using samples is the determining of the volume of the sample. Currently this is mostly done by the very time consuming "sand cone method" in which the volume were the sample used to sit is filled with sand. We show that 3Dscanner that is part of the 150 game controller extension "Kinect" can be used to make 3D scans before and after taking the sample. The accuracy of this method is tested by scanning forms of known volume. This method is less time consuming and less error-prone than using a sand cone.

Three-dimensional (3D) laserscanner models of human crania can be used for forensic facial reconstruction, and for obtaining craniometric data useful for estimating age, sex, and population affinity of unidentified human remains. However, the use of computer-generated measurements in a casework setting requires the measurement precision to be known. Here, we assess the repeatability and precision of cranial volume and surface area measurements using 3Dlaserscanner models created by different operators using different protocols for collecting and processing data. We report intraobserver measurement errors of 0.2% and interobserver errors of 2% of the total area and volume values, suggesting that observer-related errors do not pose major obstacles for sharing, combining, or comparing such measurements. Nevertheless, as no standardized procedure exists for area or volume measurements from 3D models, it is imperative to report the scanning and postscanning protocols employed when such measurements are conducted in a forensic setting.

The statistics on the growing number of non-healing wounds is alarming. In the United States, chronic wounds affect 6.5 million patients. An estimated US $25 billion is spent annually on treatment of chronic wounds and the burden is rapidly growing due to increasing health care costs, an aging population and a sharp rise in the incidence of diabetes and obesity worldwide.(1) Accurate wound measurement techniques will help health care personnel to monitor the wounds which will indirectly help improving care.(7,9) The clinical practice of measuring wounds has not improved even today.(2,3) A common method like the ruler method to measure wounds has poor interrater and intrarater reliability.(2,3) Measuring the greatest length by the greatest width perpendicular to the greatest length, the perpendicular method, is more valid and reliable than other ruler based methods.(2) Another common method like acetate tracing is more accurate than the ruler method but still has its disadvantages. These common measurement techniques are time consuming with variable inaccuracies. In this study, volumetric measurements taken with a non-contact 3-Dscanner are benchmarked against the common ruler method, acetate grid tracing, and 2-D image planimetry volumetric measurement technique. A liquid volumetric fill method is used as the control volume. Results support the hypothesis that the 3-Dscanner consistently shows accurate volumetric measurements in comparison to standard volumetric measurements obtained by the waterfill technique (average difference of 11%). The 3-Dscanner measurement technique was found more reliable and valid compared to other three techniques, the ruler method (average difference of 75%), acetate grid tracing (average difference of 41%), and 2D planimetric measurements (average difference of 52%). Acetate tracing showed more accurate measurements compared to the ruler method (average difference of 41% (acetate tracing) compared to 75% (ruler method)). Improving

The statistics on the growing number of non-healing wounds is alarming. In the United States, chronic wounds affect 6.5 million patients. An estimated US $25 billion is spent annually on treatment of chronic wounds and the burden is rapidly growing due to increasing health care costs, an aging population and a sharp rise in the incidence of diabetes and obesity worldwide.1 Accurate wound measurement techniques will help health care personnel to monitor the wounds which will indirectly help improving care.7,9 The clinical practice of measuring wounds has not improved even today.2,3 A common method like the ruler method to measure wounds has poor interrater and intrarater reliability.2,3 Measuring the greatest length by the greatest width perpendicular to the greatest length, the perpendicular method, is more valid and reliable than other ruler based methods.2 Another common method like acetate tracing is more accurate than the ruler method but still has its disadvantages. These common measurement techniques are time consuming with variable inaccuracies. In this study, volumetric measurements taken with a non-contact 3-Dscanner are benchmarked against the common ruler method, acetate grid tracing, and 2-D image planimetry volumetric measurement technique. A liquid volumetric fill method is used as the control volume. Results support the hypothesis that the 3-Dscanner consistently shows accurate volumetric measurements in comparison to standard volumetric measurements obtained by the waterfill technique (average difference of 11%). The 3-Dscanner measurement technique was found more reliable and valid compared to other three techniques, the ruler method (average difference of 75%), acetate grid tracing (average difference of 41%), and 2D planimetric measurements (average difference of 52%). Acetate tracing showed more accurate measurements compared to the ruler method (average difference of 41% (acetate tracing) compared to 75% (ruler method)). Improving the

It is a big challenge capturing and modeling 3D information of the built environment. A number of techniques and technologies are now in use. These include GPS, and photogrammetric application and also remote sensing applications. The experiment uses multi-source data fusion technology for 3D scene reconstruction based on the principle of 3Dlaser scanning technology, which uses the laser point cloud data as the basis and Digital Ortho-photo Map as an auxiliary, uses 3DsMAX software as a basic tool for building three-dimensional scene reconstruction. The article includes data acquisition, data preprocessing, 3D scene construction. The results show that the 3D scene has better truthfulness, and the accuracy of the scene meet the need of 3D scene construction.

A three-dimensional (3-D) noncontact optical surface range sensing imaging system that captures the entire circumferential and distal end surfaces of lower limb residua in less than 1 second has been developed. The optical surface scanner (OSS) consists of four charge injection device (CID) cameras and three white light projectors, mounted on a rigid frame surrounding the subject's residuum, allowing 360 degrees surface coverage of the lower residual limb. Anatomic 3-D computer graphics reconstruction of a residuum surface, recorded with the OSS imaging system, is used for visualization and measurement. One cubical and two spherical calibration test objects were used to obtain a system precision of less than 1 mm. In a study conducted with 13 persons with below knee (BK) amputation, the OSS system was compared to calipers, electromagnetic digitizer, and volumetric computed tomography with better than 1 mm precision on plaster positive casts and approximately 2 mm on the residual limbs.

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is a typical dialect that helps designers, production faculty and quality monitors to convey design specifications in an effective and efficient manner. GD&T has been practiced since the start of machine component assembly but without overly naming it. However, in recent times industries have started increasingly emphasizing on it. One prominent area where most of the industries struggle with is quality inspection. Complete inspection process is mostly human intensive. Also, the use of conventional gauges and templates for inspection purpose highly depends on skill of workers and quality inspectors. In industries, the concept of 3D scanning is not new but is used only for creating 3D drawings or modelling of physical parts. However, the potential of 3D scanning as a powerful inspection tool is hardly explored. This study is centred on designing a procedure for automated inspection using 3Dscanner. Linear, geometric and dimensional inspection of the most popular test bar-stepped bar, as a simple example was also carried out as per the new framework. The new generation engineering industries would definitely welcome this automated inspection procedure being quick and reliable with reduced human intervention.

The analysis of normal and pathological variation in human foot morphology is central to several biomedical disciplines, including orthopedics, orthotic design, sports sciences, and physical anthropology, and it is also important for efficient footwear design. A classic and frequently used approach to study foot morphology is analysis of the footprint shape and footprint depth. Footprints are relatively easy to produce and to measure, and they can be preserved naturally in different soils. In this study, we need to correlate footprint depth with corresponding foot pressure of individual using 3Dscanner. Several approaches are used for modeling and estimating footprint depths and foot pressures. The deepest footprint point is calculated from z max coordinate-z min coordinate and the average of foot pressure is calculated from GRF divided to foot area contact and identical with the average of footprint depth. Evaluation of footprint depth was found from importing 3Dscanner file (dxf) in AutoCAD, the z-coordinates than sorted from the highest to the lowest value using Microsoft Excel to make footprinting depth in difference color. This research is only qualitatif study because doesn't use foot pressure device as comparator, and resulting the maximum pressure on calceneus is 3.02 N/cm2, lateral arch is 3.66 N/cm2, and metatarsal and hallux is 3.68 N/cm2.

In this paper we propose a hand-held 3Dlaserscanner composed of an optical head device to extract 3D local surface information and a stereo vision system with subvoxel precision to measure the position and orientation of the 3D optical head. The optical head is manually scanned over the surface object by the operator. The orientation and position of the 3D optical head is determined by a phase-sensitive method using a 2D regular intensity pattern. This phase reference pattern is rigidly fixed to the optical head and allows their 3D location with subvoxel precision in the observation field of the stereo vision system. The 3D resolution achieved by the stereo vision system is about 33 microns at 1.8 m with an observation field of 60cm x 60cm.

Rail track geometric parameters measurement requires knowledge of left and right rail head location in each section. First of all displacement in transverse plane of rail head point located at a distance of 14 mm below the running surface, must be controlled [1]. It is carried out by detecting of each rail profile using triangulation laserscanners. Optical image recognition is carried out successfully in the laboratory, approaches used for this purpose are widely known. However, laserscanners operation has several features on railways leading to necessity of traditional approaches adaptation for solving these particular problems. The most significant problem is images noisiness due to the solar flashes and the effect of "Moon path" on the smooth rail surface. Using of optical filters gives inadequate result, because scannerlaser diodes radiation frequency varies with temperature changes that forbid the use of narrow-band filters. Consideration of these features requires additional constructive and algorithmic solutions, including involvement of information from other sensors of the system. The specific usage of optical scanners for rail profiles control is the subject of the paper.

The term of 3Dlaser processing has been used so far to describe a group of different three-dimensional laser processing concepts. At each of these concepts the 3D aspect refers to a different manipulation of one or more laser beams, as to process and/or produce three-dimensional geometries by performing material removal, welding or heat treating. The most important concepts are focused mainly in laser machining and laser welding processes by incorporating one or two laser beams simultaneously. This paper overviews a number of these concepts that have been developed in research or industrial level, along with their advantages, drawbacks and fields of application.

Fast, robust, nondestructive 3D imaging is needed for characterization of microscopic structures in industrial and clinical applications. A custom micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-based 2D scanner system was developed to achieve 55 kHz A-scan acquisition in a Gabor-domain optical coherence microscopy (GD-OCM) instrument with a novel multilevel GPU architecture for high-speed imaging. GD-OCM yields high-definition volumetric imaging with dynamic depth of focusing through a bio-inspired liquid lens-based microscope design, which has no moving parts and is suitable for use in a manufacturing setting or in a medical environment. A dual-axis MEMS mirror was chosen to replace two single-axis galvanometer mirrors; as a result, the astigmatism caused by the mismatch between the optical pupil and the scanning location was eliminated and a 12x reduction in volume of the scanning system was achieved. Imaging at an invariant resolution of 2 μm was demonstrated throughout a volume of 1 × 1 × 0.6 mm3, acquired in less than 2 minutes. The MEMS-based scanner resulted in improved image quality, increased robustness and lighter weight of the system - all factors that are critical for on-field deployment. A custom integrated feedback system consisting of a laser diode and a position-sensing detector was developed to investigate the impact of the resonant frequency of the MEMS and the driving signal of the scanner on the movement of the mirror. Results on the metrology of manufactured materials and characterization of tissue samples with GD-OCM are presented.

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction is one of the most attractive research topics in photogrammetry and computer vision. Nowadays 3D reconstruction with simple and consumable equipment plays an important role. In this paper, a 3D reconstruction desktop system is built based on binocular stereo vision using a laserscanner. The hardware requirements are a simple commercial hand-held laser line projector and two common webcams for image acquisition. Generally, 3D reconstruction based on passive triangulation methods requires point correspondences among various viewpoints. The development of matching algorithms remains a challenging task in computer vision. In our proposal, with the help of a laser line projector, stereo correspondences are established robustly from epipolar geometry and the laser shadow on the scanned object. To establish correspondences more conveniently, epipolar rectification is employed using Bouguet's method after stereo calibration with a printed chessboard. 3D coordinates of the observed points are worked out with rayray triangulation and reconstruction outliers are removed with the planarity constraint of the laser plane. Dense 3D point clouds are derived from multiple scans under different orientations. Each point cloud is derived by sweeping the laser plane across the object requiring 3D reconstruction. The Iterative Closest Point algorithm is employed to register the derived point clouds. Rigid body transformation between neighboring scans is obtained to get the complete 3D point cloud. Finally polygon meshes are reconstructed from the derived point cloud and color images are used in texture mapping to get a lifelike 3D model. Experiments show that our reconstruction method is simple and efficient.

Dimensional control based on 3Dlaser scanning techniques is widely used in practice. We describe the application of a hybrid 3D-2D laser scanning system to the characterization of slate slabs with structural defects that are difficult for the human eye to characterize objectively. Our study is based on automating the process using a 3Dlaserscanner and a 2D camera. Our results demonstrate that the application of this hybrid system optimally characterizes slate slabs in terms of the defects described by the Spanish UNE-EN 12326-1 standard.

Non-contact measurement techniques using 3Dlaser scanning have the power to deliver tremendous benefits to most notably manufacturing, and have the advantage of high speed and high detail output. However, procedures for evaluation and verification of non-contact laser line scanner have not been well-established because of many influencing factors like scan depth, incident angle, probe head orientation and surface properties. A truncated pyramid artifact representation of five- planar with different included angles was designed and used to straightforwardly identify the influence of in-plane and out-of-plane angle, as well as scan depth on dimensional measurement accuracy of the laserscanner. Then, a series of easy, fast and representative experiments, based on this simple artifact, were performed on a commercial laser line scanner, and found that the output of this scanner can be improved for metrology applications after calibration.

This paper deals with new optical non-conventional 3Dlaser imaging. Optical non-conventional imaging explores the advantages of laser imaging to form a three-dimensional image of the scene. 3Dlaser imaging can be used for threedimensional medical imaging, topography, surveillance, robotic vision because of ability to detect and recognize objects. In this paper, we present a 3Dlaser imaging for concealed object identification. The objective of this new 3Dlaser imaging is to provide the user a complete 3D reconstruction of the concealed object from available 2D data limited in number and with low representativeness. The 2D laser data used in this paper come from simulations that are based on the calculation of the laser interactions with the different interfaces of the scene of interest and from experimental results. We show the global 3D reconstruction procedures capable to separate objects from foliage and reconstruct a threedimensional image of the considered object. In this paper, we present examples of reconstruction and completion of three-dimensional images and we analyse the different parameters of the identification process such as resolution, the scenario of camouflage, noise impact and lacunarity degree.

Recent studies have reported that quantifying symphyseal and auricular surface curvature changes on 3D models acquired by laserscanners has a potential for age estimation. However, no tests have been carried out to evaluate the repeatability of the results between different laserscanners. 3D models of the two pelvic joints were generated using three laserscanners (Custom, Faro, and Minolta). The surface curvature, the surface area, and the distance between co-registered meshes were investigated. Close results were found for surface areas (differences between 0.3% and 2.4%) and for distance deviations (average <20 μm, SD <200 μm). The curvature values were found to be systematically biased between different laserscanners, but still showing similar trends with increasing phases/scores. Applying a smoothing factor to the 3D models, it was possible to separate anatomy from the measurement error of each instrument, so that similar curvature values could be obtained (p laser scanner.

Background The use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in dentistry has proven to be useful in the diagnosis and treatment planning of several oral and maxillofacial diseases. The quality of the resulting image is dictated by many factors related to the patient, unit, and operator. Materials and methods In this work, two dental CBCT units, namely Scanora 3D and 3D Accuitomo 80, were assessed and compared in terms of quantitative effective dose delivered to specific locations in a dosimetry phantom. Resolution and contrast were evaluated in only 3D Accuitomo 80 using special quality assurance phantoms. Results Scanora 3D, with less radiation time, showed less dosing values compared to 3D Accuitomo 80 (mean 0.33 mSv, SD±0.16 vs. 0.18 mSv, SD±0.1). Using paired t-test, no significant difference was found in Accuitomo two scan sessions (p>0.05), while it was highly significant in Scanora (p>0.05). The modulation transfer function value (at 2 lp/mm), in both measurements, was found to be 4.4%. The contrast assessment of 3D Accuitomo 80 in the two measurements showed few differences, for example, the grayscale values were the same (SD=0) while the noise level was slightly different (SD=0 and 0.67, respectively). Conclusions The radiation dose values in these two CBCT units are significantly less than those encountered in systemic CT scans. However, the dose seems to be affected more by changing the field of view rather than the voltage or amperage. The low doses were at the expense of the image quality produced, which was still acceptable. Although the spatial resolution and contrast were inferior to the medical images produced in systemic CT units, the present results recommend adopting CBCTs in maxillofacial imaging because of low radiation dose and adequate image quality. PMID:26091832

The design, construction, and testing of a laser scanning system is described. The scanner was designed to deliver a scanned beam over a 2.54 cm by 2.54 cm or a 5.08 cm by 5.08 cm format. In order to achieve a scan resolution and rate comparable to that of standard television, an acousto-optic deflector was used for one axis of the scan, and a light deflecting galvanometer for deflection along the other axis. The acoustic optic deflector has the capability of random access scan controlled by a digital computer.

Knowing the accuracy of laserscanners is imperative to select the best scanner to generate bone models. However, errors stated by manufacturers may not apply to bones. The three objectives of this study were to determine: 1) whether the overall error stated by the manufacturers of five laserscanners was different from the root mean squared error (RMSE) computed by scanning a gage block; 2) the repeatability of 3D models generated by the laserscanners when scanning a complex freeform surface such as a distal femur and whether this differed from the repeatability when scanning a gage block; 3) whether the errors for one lower-cost laserscanner are comparable to those of four higher-cost laserscanners. The RMSEs in scanning the gage block were 2 to 52µm lower than the overall errors stated by the manufacturers. The repeatability in scanning the bovine femur 10 times was significantly worse than that in scanning the gage block 10 times. The precision of the lower-cost laserscanner was comparable to that of the higher-cost laserscanners, but the bias was an order of magnitude greater. The contributions of this study are that 1) the overall errors stated by the manufacturers are an upper bound when simple geometric objects like a gage block are scanned, 2) the repeatability is worse on average three times when scanning a complex freeform surface compared to scanning the gage block, and 3) the main difference between the lower-cost and the higher-cost laserscanners is the bias.

Unmanned aerial mapping is becoming more and more popular in the last years, mostly because of advances in 3D reconstruction from images and its price affordability. The results of 3D reconstruction from images coming close to results of laser scanning in the resolution and accuracy point of view in some cases. However, mobile laser scanning still have advantages in reliability and easiness of measured data processing. That's why we have chosen an airship as a carrier capable to carry laser scanning unit. Most of the laserscanner used in mobile mapping works in profiler (2D, plane) mode. We decided to modify laserscanner Sick LD-LRS1000 for scanning in conical shape mode, because of its favorable properties. The realization of the modification is described in the paper.

Digital 3D models are now used everywhere, from traditional fields of industrial design, artistic design, to heritage conservation. Although laser scan is very useful to get densely samples of the objects, nowadays, such an instrument is expensive and always need to be connected to a computer with stable power supply, which prevent it from usage for fieldworks. In this paper, a new semi-automatic 3Dlaser scan method is proposed using two line laser sources. The planes projected from the laser sources are orthogonal, one of which is fixed relative to the camera, and the other can be rotated along a settled axis. Before scanning, the system must be calibrated, from which the parameters of the camera, the position of the fixed laser plane and the settled axis are introduced. In scanning process, the fixed laser plane and the camera form a conventional structured light system, and the 3d positions of the intersection curves of the fixed laser plane with the object can be computed. The other laser plane is rotated manually or mechanically, and its position can be determined from the cross point intersecting with the fixed laser plane on the object, so the coordinates of sweeping points can be obtained. The new system can be used without a computer (The data can be processed later), which make it suitable for fieldworks. A scanning case is given in the end.

Scanners using solid-state devices compact, consume little power, and have no moving parts. Integrated electro-optical laserscanner, in conjunction with external lens, points outgoing beam of light in any number of different directions, depending on number of upper electrodes. Offers beam-deflection angles larger than those of acousto-optic scanners. Proposed for such diverse applications as nonimpact laser printing, color imaging, ranging, barcode reading, and robotic vision.

Canadian company Neptec Design Group Ltd. developed its Laser Camera System, used by shuttles to render 3D maps of their hulls for assessing potential damage. Using NASA funding, the firm incorporated LiDAR technology and created the TriDAR 3D sensor. Its commercial arm, Neptec Technologies Corp., has sold the technology to Orbital Sciences, which uses it to guide its Cygnus spacecraft during rendezvous and dock operations at the International Space Station.

Historical structures are one of the most essential element of cultural heritage. They reflect history, lifestyle and tradition of a country and society. However, they are damaged through the years due to human activities and natural hazards. Therefore, digital documentation of structures and monuments is critical for preservation, sustainability and protection of cultural heritage. Terrestrial laserscanner is a widespread used tool for obtaining 3D representation of real world. In this study, we aimed to measure deformation of deformed minaret of a historical mosque using terrestrial laserscanner. In order to represent the geometry of the deformed minaret with high accuracy, 31 horizontal sections were created from the transition segment to the spire of the minaret with 30 cm intervals. The changing curvatures of the minaret were analysed in three parts; cylindrical part, balcony part and upper part. The offsets from the vertical axes for the parts of the minaret were found as 10.14 cm, 13.97 cm and 16.51 cm, respectively.

The ability to manufacture and assemble complex three-dimensional (3D) systems via traditional photolithographic techniques has attracted increasing attention. However, most of the work to date still utilizes the traditional patterning and etching processes designed for the semiconductor industry where 2D structures are first fabricated, followed by some alternative technique for releasing these structures out-of-plane. Here we present a novel technique called Laser Origami, which has demonstrated the ability to generate 3D microstructures through the controlled out-of-plane folding of 2D patterns. This non-lithographic, and non silicon-based process is capable of microfabricating 3D structures of arbitrary shape and geometric complexity on a variety of substrates. The Laser Origami technique allows for the design and fabrication of arrays of 3D microstructures, where each microstructure can be made to fold independently of the others. Application of these folded micro-assemblies might make possible the development of highly complex and interconnected electrical, optical and mechanical 3D systems. This article will describe the unique advantages and capabilities of Laser Origami, discuss its applications and explore its role for the assembly and generation of 3D microstructures.

Mechanical Scanning Sonar (MSS) is a promising technology for surveying underwater environments. Such devices are comprised of a multibeam echosounder attached to a pan & tilt positioner, that allows sweeping the scene in a similar way as Terrestrial LaserScanners (TLS). In this paper, we report on the experimental assessment of a recent MSS, namely, the BlueView BV5000, in a confined environment: lock number 50 on the Marne-Rhin canal (France). To this aim, we hung the system upside-down to scan the lock chamber from the surface, which allows surveying the scanning positions, up to an horizontal orientation. We propose a geometric method to estimate the remaining angle and register the scans in a coordinate system attached to the site. After reviewing the different errors that impair sonar data, we compare the resulting point cloud to a TLS model that was acquired the day before, while the lock was completely empty for maintenance. While the results exhibit a bias that can be partly explained by an imperfect setup, the maximum difference is less than 15 cm, and the standard deviation is about 3.5 cm. Visual inspection shows that coarse defects of the masonry, such as stone lacks or cavities, can be detected in the MSS point cloud, while smaller details, e.g. damaged joints, are harder to notice.

Close-range photogrammetry and the relatively new technology of terrestrial laser scanning can be considered as complementary rather than competitive technologies. For instance, terrestrial laserscanners (TLS) have the ability to rapidly collect high-resolution 3D surface information about an object. The same type of data can be generated using close-range photogrammetric (CRP) techniques, but image disparities common to close-range scenes makes this an operator intensive task. The imaging systems of some TLSs do not have very high radiometric resolution whereas high-resolution digital cameras used in modern CRP do. Finally, TLSs are essentially earth-bound whereas cameras can be moved at will around the object being imaged. This thesis, therefore, explores and attempts to provide a solution to the problems of developing a methodology to fuse terrestrial laserscanner generated 3D data and high-resolution digital images. Four phases of the methodology have been investigated: data pre-processing (fusion of data from the two sensors), automatic measurements (feature detection and correspondence matching), mapping (creation of point cloud visual index), and orientation (calculation of exterior orientation parameters). Individual phases were initially investigated in a manually controlled environment, typically using commercial photogrammetric software, and then combined in a completely automated system. Focusing on the amount of geometric primitives, three different scenes (data set A, data set B, and data set C) representing three levels of complexity (low, medium and high) were scanned with the laserscanner, and for each scan, a 2D photographic image was taken with a digital camera. To overcome the differences in datasets, a hybrid matching (both feature and area-based) algorithm was successfully developed and implemented. The fidelity of the concept of generating synthetic camera images has been tested by determining the exterior orientation of the synthetic

A process which vastly improves the 3-D patterning capability of laser pantography (computer controlled laser direct-write patterning). The process uses commercially available electrodeposited photoresist (EDPR) to pattern 3-D surfaces. The EDPR covers the surface of a metal layer conformally, coating the vertical as well as horizontal surfaces. A laser pantograph then patterns the EDPR, which is subsequently developed in a standard, commercially available developer, leaving patterned trench areas in the EDPR. The metal layer thereunder is now exposed in the trench areas and masked in others, and thereafter can be etched to form the desired pattern (subtractive process), or can be plated with metal (additive process), followed by a resist stripping, and removal of the remaining field metal (additive process). This improved laser pantograph process is simpler, faster, move manufacturable, and requires no micro-machining.

Loral Defense Systems (LDS) developed a 3DLaser Radar Vision Processor system capable of detecting, classifying, and identifying small mobile targets as well as larger fixed targets using three dimensional laser radar imagery for use with a robotic type system. This processor system is designed to interface with the NASA Johnson Space Center in-house Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Retriever robot program and provide to it needed information so it can fetch and grasp targets in a space-type scenario.

We present a method for detecting and modelling rails in mobile laserscanner data. The detection is based on the properties of the rail tracks and contact wires such as relative height, linearity and relative position with respect to other objects. Points classified as rail track are used in a 3D modelling algorithm. The modelling is done by first fitting a parametric model of a rail piece to the points along each track, and estimating the position and orientation parameters of each piece model. For each position and orientation parameter a smooth low-order Fourier curve is interpolated. Using all interpolated parameters a mesh model of the rail is reconstructed. The method is explained using two areas from a dataset acquired by a LYNX mobile mapping system in a mountainous area. Residuals between railway laser points and 3D models are in the range of 2 cm. It is concluded that a curve fitting algorithm is essential to reliably and accurately model the rail tracks by using the knowledge that railways are following a continuous and smooth path.

A fiber-optic 3D confocal scanning microendoscope employing MEMS scanners for both lateral and axial scan was designed and constructed. The MEMS 3D scan engine achieved a lateral scan range of over ± 26° with a 2D MEMS scanning micromirror and a depth scan of over 400 μm with a 1D MEMS tunable microlens. The lateral resolution and axial resolution of this system were experimentally measured as 1.0 μm and 7.0 μm, respectively. 2D and 3D confocal reflectance images of micro-patterns, micro-particles, onion skins and acute rat brain tissue were obtained by this MEMS-based 3D confocal scanning microendoscope. PMID:25013304

Intra-operative brain shift limits the usefulness of image-guided neurosurgery systems (IGNS), which are based on pre-operative images. Methods that are being developed to address this problem need intra-operative measurements as input. In this work, we present an intra-operative surface shift measurement technique that relies on a tracked 3Dlaser range scanner. This scanner acquires both 3D range data and 2D images, which are co-registered. We compare two methods to derive displacements at every point in the field of view. The first one relies on the registration of the 2D images; the second relies on the direct 3D registration of the 3D range data. Our results, based on five data sets, show that the 2D method is preferable.

Current research on LaserScanner often focuses mainly on the static measurement. Little use has been made of dynamic measurement, that are appropriate for more problems and situations. In particular, traditional LaserScanner must Keep stable to scan and measure coordinate transformation parameters between different station. In order to make the scanning measurement intelligently and rapidly, in this paper ,we developed a new registration algorithm for handleheld laserscanner based on the positon of target, which realize the dynamic measurement of handheld laserscanner without any more complex work. the double camera on laserscanner can take photograph of the artificial target points to get the three-dimensional coordinates, this points is designed by random coding. And then, a set of matched points is found from control points to realize the orientation of scanner by the least-square common points transformation. After that the double camera can directly measure the laser point cloud in the surface of object and get the point cloud data in an unified coordinate system. There are three major contributions in the paper. Firstly, a laserscanner based on binocular vision is designed with double camera and one laser head. By those, the real-time orientation of laserscanner is realized and the efficiency is improved. Secondly, the coding marker is introduced to solve the data matching, a random coding method is proposed. Compared with other coding methods,the marker with this method is simple to match and can avoid the shading for the object. Finally, a recognition method of coding maker is proposed, with the use of the distance recognition, it is more efficient. The method present here can be used widely in any measurement from small to huge obiect, such as vehicle, airplane which strengthen its intelligence and efficiency. The results of experiments and theory analzing demonstrate that proposed method could realize the dynamic measurement of handheld laser

3D urban models are valuable for urban map generation, environment monitoring, safety planning and educational purposes. For 3D measurement of urban structures, generally airborne laser scanning sensors or multi-view satellite images are used as a data source. However, close-range sensors (such as terrestrial laserscanners) and low cost cameras (which can generate point clouds based on photogrammetry) can provide denser sampling of 3D surface geometry. Unfortunately, terrestrial laser scanning sensors are expensive and trained persons are needed to use them for point cloud acquisition. A potential effective 3D modelling can be generated based on a low cost smartphone sensor. Herein, we show examples of using smartphone camera images to generate 3D models of urban structures. We compare a smartphone based 3D model of an example structure with a terrestrial laser scanning point cloud of the structure. This comparison gives us opportunity to discuss the differences in terms of geometrical correctness, as well as the advantages, disadvantages and limitations in data acquisition and processing. We also discuss how smartphone based point clouds can help to solve further problems with 3D urban model generation in a practical way. We show that terrestrial laser scanning point clouds which do not have color information can be colored using smartphones. The experiments, discussions and scientific findings might be insightful for the future studies in fast, easy and low-cost 3D urban model generation field.

Laser welding is a key joining process used extensively in the manufacture and assembly of critical components for several weapons systems. Sandia National Laboratories advances the understanding of the laser welding process through coupled experimentation and modeling. This report summarizes the experimental portion of the research program, which focused on measuring temperatures and thermal history of laser welds on steel plates. To increase confidence in measurement accuracy, researchers utilized multiple complementary techniques to acquire temperatures during laser welding. This data serves as input to and validation of 3Dlaser welding models aimed at predicting microstructure and the formation of defects and their impact on weld-joint reliability, a crucial step in rapid prototyping of weapons components.

Terrestrial laser scanning systems are steadily increasing in many fields of engineering, geoscience and architecture namely for fast data acquisition, 3-D modeling and mapping. Similarly to other precision instruments, these systems provide measurements with implicit systematic errors. Systematic errors are physically corrected by manufacturers before delivery and sporadically afterwards. The approach presented herein tackles the raw observables acquired by a laserscanner with additional parameters, a set of geometric calibration parameters that model the systematic error of the instrument to achieve the most accurate point cloud outputs, improving eventual workflow owing to less filtering, better registration and best 3D modeling. This paper presents a fully automatic strategy to calibrate geometrically terrestrial laser scanning datasets. The strategy is tested with multiple scans taken by a FARO FOCUS 3D, a phase-based terrestrial laserscanner. A calibration with local parameters for datasets is undertaken to improve the raw observables and a weighted mathematical index is proposed to select the most significant set of additional parameters. The improvements achieved are exposed, highlighting the necessity of correcting the terrestrial laserscanner before handling multiple data sets.

In-situ calibration of structured light scanners in underwater environments is time-consuming and complicated. This paper presents a self-calibrating line laser scanning system, which enables the creation of dense 3D models with a single fixed camera and a freely moving hand-held cross line laser projector. The proposed approach exploits geometric constraints, such as coplanarities, to recover the depth information and is applicable without any prior knowledge of the position and orientation of the laser projector. By employing an off-the-shelf underwater camera and a waterproof housing with high power line lasers an affordable 3D scanning solution can be built. In experiments the performance of the proposed technique is studied and compared with 3D reconstruction using explicit calibration. We demonstrate that the scanning system can be applied to above-the-water as well as underwater scenes.

Recently, many laserscanners are applied for various measurement fields. This paper investigates that it was useful to use the terrestrial laserscanner in the field of landscape architecture and examined a usage in Japanese garden. As for the use of 3D point cloud data in the Japanese garden, it is the visual use such as the animations. Therefore, some applications of the 3D point cloud data was investigated that are as follows. Firstly, ortho image of the Japanese garden could be outputted for the 3D point cloud data. Secondly, contour lines of the Japanese garden also could be extracted, and drawing was became possible. Consequently, drawing of Japanese garden was realized more efficiency due to achievement of laborsaving. Moreover, operation of the measurement and drawing could be performed without technical skills, and any observers can be operated. Furthermore, 3D point cloud data could be edited, and some landscape simulations that extraction and placement of tree or some objects were became possible. As a result, it can be said that the terrestrial laserscanner will be applied in landscape architecture field more widely.

A low-cost 3Dscanner has been developed with a parts cost of approximately USD $5,000. This scanner uses visible light sensing to capture both structural as well as texture and color data of a subject. This paper discusses the use of this type of scanner to create 3D models for incorporation into a virtual reality environment. It describes the basic scanning process (which takes under a minute for a single scan), which can be repeated to collect multiple positions, if needed for actor model creation. The efficacy of visible light versus other scanner types is also discussed.

A Minolta VIVID 700 portable non-contact 3Dlaserscanner was evaluated on 15 subjects with idiopathic scoliosis. The 3D map was compared to two structured light pattern (lines and dots) techniques to determine the reliability, ease of use, speed, and quality. The parameters used for the clinical assessment of scoliosis were measured twice for the Minolta and light projection systems. The edges of the image and areas where occlusion typically occur were examined. The absolute distance in calculated depth between adjacent points was examined to determine errors. The Minolta system and the dot pattern produced regular grids of points. The light projection pattern produced an irregular grid, with more resolution along the video line and less resolution between projected lines, resulted in a somewhat jagged appearance of the surface map. The Minolta system was less sensitive to edge effects, occlusion, and sharp transitions of depth. The comparison of clinical parameters showed good results between repetitions but moderate results between techniques.

We describe the design and implementation of a system that acquires three-dimensional (3D) data of high-contrast objects such as bone, lung, and blood vessels (enhanced by contrast agent). This 3D computed tomography (CT) system is based on a cone beam and video-fluoroscopic system and yields data that is amenable to 3D image processing. An X-ray tube and a large area two-dimensional detector were mounted on a single frame and rotated around objects in 12 seconds. The large area detector consisted of a fluorescent plate and a charge coupled device (CCD) video camera. While the X-ray tube was rotated around the object, a pulsed X-ray was generated (30 pulses per second) and 360 projected images were collected in a 12-second scan. A 256 x 256 x 256 matrix image was reconstructed using a high-speed parallel processor. Reconstruction required approximately 6 minutes. Two volunteers underwent scans of the head or chest. High-contrast objects such as bronchial, vascular, and mediastinal structures in the thorax, or bones and air cavities in the head were delineated in a "real" 3D format. Our 3D CT-scanner appears to produce data useful for clinical imaging and 3D image processing.

The Mars Methane Analogue Mission simulates a micro-rover mission whose purpose is to detect, analyze, and determine the source of methane emissions on the planet's surface. As part of this project, both an electromagnetic induction sounder (EMIS) and a high-resolution triangulation-based 3Dlaserscanner were tested at the Jeffrey open-pit asbestos mine to identify and characterize geological environments favourable to the occurrence of methane. The presence of serpentinite in the form of chrysotile (asbestos), magnesium carbonate, and iron oxyhydroxides make the mine a likely location for methane production. The EMIS clearly delineated the contacts between the two geological units found at the mine, peridotite and slate, which are separated by a shear zone. Both the peridotite and slate units have low and uniform apparent electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility, while the shear zone has much higher conductivity and susceptibility, with greater variability. The EMIS data were inverted and the resulting model captured lateral conductivity variations through the different bedrock geological units buried beneath a gravel road. The 3D point cloud data acquired by the laserscanner were fitted with triangular meshes where steeply dipping triangles were plotted in dark grey to accentuate discontinuities. The resulting images were further processed using Sobel edge detection to highlight networks of fractures which are potential pathways for methane seepage.

Mobile mapping laser scanning systems have become more and more widespread for the acquisition of millions of 3D points on large and geometrically complex urban sites. Vehicle-based Laser Scanning (VLS) systems travel many kilometers while acquiring raw point clouds which are registered in real time in a common coordinate system. Improvements of the acquisition steps as well as the automatic processing of the collected point clouds are still a conundrum for researchers. This paper shows some results obtained by application, on mobile laserscanner data, of segmentation and reconstruction algorithms intended initially to generate individual vector facade models using stationary Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS) data. The operating algorithms are adapted so as to take into account characteristics of VLS data. The intrinsic geometry of a point cloud as well as the relative geometry between registered point clouds are different from that obtained by a static TLS. The amount of data provided by this acquisition technique is another issue. Such particularities should be taken into consideration while processing this type of point clouds. The segmentation of VLS data is carried out based on an adaptation of RANSAC algorithm. Edge points of each element are extracted by applying a second algorithm. Afterwards, the vector models of each facade element are reconstructed. In order to validate the results, large samples with different characteristics have been introduced in the developed processing chain. The limitations as well as the capabilities of each process will be emphasized in terms of geometry and processing time.

Monitoring landslides with terrestrial LiDAR is currently a well-known technique. One problem often encountered is the vegetation that produces shadow areas on the scans. Indeed, the points behind the obstacle are hidden and are absent from the point cloud. Thereby, locations monitored with terrestrial laserscanner are mostly rock instabilities and few vegetated landslides, being difficult or even impossible to survey vegetated slopes using this method. The Peney landslide (Geneva, Switzerland) is partially vegetated by bushes and trees, and in order to monitor its displacements during the drawdown of the Verbois reservoir located at its base, which activates the movement, an alternative solution has to be found. The Goal of this study are: (1) to illustrate a technique to monitor vegetated landslides with a terrestrial laserscanner and (2) to compare the both manual and automatic methods for displacement vectors extraction. We installed 14 targets, four of which are in stable areas which are considered as references. Targets are made of expanded polystyrene, two are spherical and 12 are cubic. They were installed on metallic poles ranging between 2 to 4 meters high. The LiDAR device was located on a fixed point on a pontoon on the reservoir opposite bank. The whole area, including the targets, needed three scans to be entirely covered and was scanned 10 times along on two weeks (duration of drawdown - filling). The acquired point clouds were cleaned and georeferenced. In order to determine the displacements for every target, two methods (manual and automatic) were used. The manual method consists on manual selection of, for example, the apex of the cubes, and so to have its 3D coordinates for a comparison in time. The automatic method uses an algorithm that recognises shapes trough time series. The obtained displacements were compared with classical measurement methods (theodolite and extensometer) showing good resemblance of results, indicating the validity of

Accurate dimension estimation is desired in many fields, but the traditional dimension estimation methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive. In the recent decades, 3Dlaserscanners have become popular for dimension estimation due to their high measurement speed and accuracy. Nonetheless, scan data obtained by amplitude-modulated continuous-wave (AMCW) laserscanners suffer from erroneous data called mixed pixels, which can influence the accuracy of dimension estimation. This study develops a mixed pixel filter for improved dimension estimation using AMCW laserscanners. The distance measurement of mixed pixels is firstly formulated based on the working principle of laserscanners. Then, a mixed pixel filter that can minimize the classification errors between valid points and mixed pixels is developed. Validation experiments were conducted to verify the formulation of the distance measurement of mixed pixels and to examine the performance of the proposed mixed pixel filter. Experimental results show that, for a specimen with dimensions of 840 mm × 300 mm, the overall errors of the dimensions estimated after applying the proposed filter are 1.9 mm and 1.0 mm for two different scanning resolutions, respectively. These errors are much smaller than the errors (4.8 mm and 3.5 mm) obtained by the scanner's built-in filter.

Earlier investigations with BGO positron emission tomography (PET) scanners showed that the scatter correction technique based on multiple acquisitions with different energy windows are problematic to implement because of the poor energy resolution of BGO (22%), particularly for whole-body studies. We believe that these methods are likely to work better with NaI(TI) because of the better energy resolution achievable with NaI(TI) detectors (10%). Therefore, we investigate two different choices for the energy window, a low-energy window (LEW) on the Compton spectrum at 400-450 keV, and a high-energy window (HEW) within the photopeak (lower threshold above 511 keV). The results obtained for our three-dimensional (3-D) (septa-less) whole-body scanners [axial field of view (FOV) of 12.8 cm and 25.6 cm] as well as for our 3-D brain scanner (axial FOV of 25.6 cm) show an accurate prediction of the scatter distribution for the estimation of trues method (ETM) using a HEW, leading to a significant reduction of the scatter contamination. The dual-energy window (DEW) technique using a LEW is shown to be intrinsically wrong; in particular, it fails for line source and bar phantom measurements. However, the method is able to produce good results for homogeneous activity distributions. Both methods are easy to implement, are fast, have a low noise propagation, and will be applicable to other PET scanners with good energy resolution and stability, such as hybrid NaI(TI) PET/SPECT dual-head cameras and future PET cameras with GSO or LSO scintillators.

Here, we explore new, more accessible ways of modeling 3D data sets that both professionals and amateurs can employ in areas such as architecture, forensics, geotechnics, cultural heritage, and even hobbyist modeling. To support our arguments, we present images from a recent case study in digital preservation of cultural heritage using a mid-range laserscanner. Our appreciation of the increasing variety of methods for capturing 3D spatial data inspired our research. Available methods include photogrammetry, airborne lidar, sonar, total stations (a combined electronic and optical survey instrument), and midand close-range scanning.1 They all can produce point clouds of varying density. In our case study, the point cloud produced by a mid-range scanner demonstrates how open source software can make modeling and disseminating data easier. Normally, researchers would model this data using expensive specialized software, and the data wouldn't extend beyond the laser-scanning community.

Intra-oral scanning technology is a very fast-growing field in dentistry since it responds to the need of an accurate three-dimensional mapping of the mouth, as required in a large number of procedures such as restorative dentistry and orthodontics. Nowadays, more than 10 intra-oral scanning devices for restorative dentistry have been developed all over the world even if only some of those devices are currently available on the market. All the existing intraoral scanners try to face with problems and disadvantages of traditional impression fabrication process and are based on different non-contact optical technologies and principles. The aim of this publication is to provide an extensive review of existing intraoral scanners for restorative dentistry evaluating their working principles, features and performances.

The recent incorporation of laser devices provides advanced tools for assisting the conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage. It is necessary to have as complete as possible understanding of the object state before evaluating or defining the reach of the restoration process. Thus, a special effort is devoted to surveying, measuring and generating a high-resolution 3D model prior to restoration planning. This work presents results of several experiments performed on damaged pieces for evaluation purposes in Cultural Heritage. Some software tools are applied for carving-work analysis, conservation-state monitoring, and simulation of weathering processes for evaluating temporal changes. In all cases considered, a high resolution information capture has been performed with a laserscanner, the Minolta 910. Our approach is flexible enough to be adapted to other kinds of pieces or Cultural Heritage artefacts, in order to provide an assessment for intervention planning in conservation and restoration tasks.

Pavement condition surveying is vital for pavement maintenance programs that ensure ride quality and traffic safety. This paper first introduces an automated pavement inspection system which uses a three-dimensional (3D) camera and a structured laser light to acquire dense transverse profiles of a pavement lane surface when it carries a moving vehicle. After the calibration, the 3D system can yield a depth resolution of 0.5 mm and a transverse resolution of 1.56 mm pixel-1 at 1.4 m camera height from the ground. The scanning rate of the camera can be set to its maximum at 5000 lines s-1, allowing the density of scanned profiles to vary with the vehicle's speed. The paper then illustrates the algorithms that utilize 3D information to detect pavement distress, such as transverse, longitudinal and alligator cracking, and presents the field tests on the system's repeatability when scanning a sample pavement in multiple runs at the same vehicle speed, at different vehicle speeds and under different weather conditions. The results show that this dedicated 3D system can capture accurate pavement images that detail surface distress, and obtain consistent crack measurements in repeated tests and under different driving and lighting conditions.

This paper proposes a practical calibration solution for estimating the boresight and lever-arm parameters of the sensors mounted on a Mobile Mapping System (MMS). On our MMS devised for conducting the calibration experiment, three network video cameras, one mobile laserscanner, and one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) were mounted. The geometric relationships between three sensors were solved by the proposed calibration, considering the GNSS/INS as one unit sensor. Our solution basically uses the point cloud generated by a 3-dimensional (3D) terrestrial laserscanner rather than using conventionally obtained 3D ground control features. With the terrestrial laserscanner, accurate and precise reference data could be produced and the plane features corresponding with the sparse mobile laser scanning data could be determined with high precision. Furthermore, corresponding point features could be extracted from the dense terrestrial laser scanning data and the images captured by the video cameras. The parameters of the boresight and the lever-arm were calculated based on the least squares approach and the precision of the boresight and lever-arm could be achieved by 0.1 degrees and 10 mm, respectively. PMID:28264457

This paper proposes a practical calibration solution for estimating the boresight and lever-arm parameters of the sensors mounted on a Mobile Mapping System (MMS). On our MMS devised for conducting the calibration experiment, three network video cameras, one mobile laserscanner, and one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) were mounted. The geometric relationships between three sensors were solved by the proposed calibration, considering the GNSS/INS as one unit sensor. Our solution basically uses the point cloud generated by a 3-dimensional (3D) terrestrial laserscanner rather than using conventionally obtained 3D ground control features. With the terrestrial laserscanner, accurate and precise reference data could be produced and the plane features corresponding with the sparse mobile laser scanning data could be determined with high precision. Furthermore, corresponding point features could be extracted from the dense terrestrial laser scanning data and the images captured by the video cameras. The parameters of the boresight and the lever-arm were calculated based on the least squares approach and the precision of the boresight and lever-arm could be achieved by 0.1 degrees and 10 mm, respectively.

The paper presents formulas for a ray tracing in the optical system of two-mirror optical scanner with a focus-tunable lens. Furthermore, equations for the calculation of focal length which ensure focusing of a beam in the desired point in a detection plane are derived. The uncertainty description of such focal length follows as well. The chosen vector approach is general; therefore, the application of formulas in various configurations of the optical systems is possible. In the example situation, the authors derived formulas for mirrors' rotations and the focal length depending on the position of the point in the detection plane.

Terrestrial laser scanning was conducted to document and analyse sites of geoarchaeological interest in Jordan, Egypt and Spain. In those cases, the terrestrial laserscanner LMS-Z420i from Riegl was used in combination with an accurate RTK-GPS for georeferencing of the point clouds. Additionally, local surveying networks were integrated by established transformations and used for indirect registration purposes. All data were integrated in a workflow that involves different software and according results. The derived data were used for the documentation of the sites by accurate plans and cross-sections. Furthermore, the 3D data were analysed for geoarchaeological research problems, such as volumetric determinations, the ceiling thickness of a cave and lighting simulations based on path tracing. The method was reliable in harsh environmental conditions, but the weight of the instrument, the measuring time and the minimum measurement distance were a drawback. However, generally an accurate documentation of the sites was possible. Overall, the integration in a 3D GIS is easily possible by the accurate georeference of the derived data. In addition, local survey results are also implemented by the established transformations. Enhanced analyses based on the derived 3D data shows promising results.

Additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing are able to generate reproductions of a part in free space without the use of molds; however, the objects produced lack electrical functionality from an applications perspective. At the same time, techniques such as inkjet and laser direct-write (LDW) can be used to print electronic components and connections onto already existing objects, but are not capable of generating a full object on their own. The approach missing to date is the combination of 3D printing processes with direct-write of electronic circuits. Among the numerous direct write techniques available, LDW offers unique advantages and capabilities given its compatibility with a wide range of materials, surface chemistries and surface morphologies. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed various LDW processes ranging from the non-phase transformative direct printing of complex suspensions or inks to lase-and-place for embedding entire semiconductor devices. These processes have been demonstrated in digital manufacturing of a wide variety of microelectronic elements ranging from circuit components such as electrical interconnects and passives to antennas, sensors, actuators and power sources. At NRL we are investigating the combination of LDW with 3D printing to demonstrate the digital fabrication of functional parts, such as 3D circuits. Merging these techniques will make possible the development of a new generation of structures capable of detecting, processing, communicating and interacting with their surroundings in ways never imagined before. This paper shows the latest results achieved at NRL in this area, describing the various approaches developed for generating 3D printed electronics with LDW.

In this work, we introduce a novel three-dimensional imaging system for in vivo high-resolution anatomical and functional whole-body visualization of small animal models developed for preclinical or other type of biomedical research. The system (LOUIS-3DM) combines a multi-wavelength optoacoustic and ultrawide-band laser ultrasound tomographies to obtain coregistered maps of tissue optical absorption and acoustic properties, displayed within the skin outline of the studied animal. The most promising applications of the LOUIS-3DM include 3D angiography, cancer research, and longitudinal studies of biological distribution of optoacoustic contrast agents (carbon nanotubes, metal plasmonic nanoparticles, etc.).

The threat of concealed weapons, explosives and contraband in footwear, bags and suitcases has led to the development of new devices, which can be deployed for security screening. To address known deficiencies of metal detectors and x-rays, an UWB 3D microwave imaging scanning apparatus using FMCW stepped frequency working in the K and Q bands and with a planar scanning geometry based on an x y stage, has been developed to screen suspicious luggage and footwear. To obtain microwave images of the concealed weapons, the targets are placed above the platform and the single transceiver horn antenna attached to the x y stage is moved mechanically to perform a raster scan to create a 2D synthetic aperture array. The S11 reflection signal of the transmitted sweep frequency from the target is acquired by a VNA in synchronism with each position step. To enhance and filter from clutter and noise the raw data and to obtain the 2D and 3D microwave images of the concealed weapons or explosives, data processing techniques are applied to the acquired signals. These techniques include background subtraction, Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), thresholding, filtering by gating and windowing and deconvolving with the transfer function of the system using a reference target. To focus the 3D reconstructed microwave image of the target in range and across the x y aperture without using focusing elements, 3D Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) techniques are applied to the post-processed data. The K and Q bands, between 15 to 40 GHz, show good transmission through clothing and dielectric materials found in luggage and footwear. A description of the system, algorithms and some results with replica guns and a comparison of microwave images obtained by IFFT, 2D and 3D SAR techniques are presented.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the continuous versus step-by-step scanning mode of a commercial circular 3Dscanner for commissioning measurements of a robotic stereotactic radiosurgery system. The 3Dscanner was used for profile measurements in step-by-step and continuous modes with the intent of comparing the two scanning modes for consistency. The profile measurements of in-plane, cross-plane, 15 degree, and 105 degree were performed for both fixed cones and Iris collimators at depth of maximum dose and at 10cm depth. For CyberKnife field size, penumbra, flatness and symmetry analysis, it was observed that the measurements with continuous mode, which can be up to 6 times faster than step-by-step mode, are comparable and produce scans nearly identical to step-by-step mode. When compared with centered step-by-step mode data, a fully processed continuous mode data gives rise to maximum of 0.50% and 0.60% symmetry and flatness difference respectfully for all the fixed cones and Iris collimators studied.

For iterative, fully 3D positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction intrinsic symmetries can be used to significantly reduce the size of the system matrix. The precalculation and beneficial memory-resident storage of all nonzero system matrix elements is possible where sufficient compression exists. Thus, reconstruction times can be minimized independently of the used projector and more elaborate weighting schemes, e.g., volume-of-intersection (VOI), are applicable. A novel organization of scanner-independent, adaptive 3D projection data is presented which can be advantageously combined with highly rotation-symmetric voxel assemblies. In this way, significant system matrix compression is achieved. Applications taking into account all physical lines-of-response (LORs) with individual VOI projectors are presented for the Siemens ECAT HR+ whole-body scanner and the Siemens BrainPET, the PET component of a novel hybrid-MR/PET imaging system. Measured and simulated data were reconstructed using the new method with ordered-subset-expectation-maximization (OSEM). Results are compared to those obtained by the sinogram-based OSEM reconstruction provided by the manufacturer. The higher computational effort due to the more accurate image space sampling provides significantly improved images in terms of resolution and noise.

This study assesses the influence of the granulometric composition of sand, application energy and the superficial tension of substrates on the contact area of rendering mortars. Three substrates with distinct wetting behaviors were selected and mortars were prepared with different sand compositions. Characterization tests were performed on fresh and hardened mortars, as well as the rheological characterization. Mortars were applied to substrates with two different energies. The interfacial area was then digitized with 3Dscanner. Results show that variables are all of influence on the interfacial contact in the development area. Furthermore, 3Dlaser scanning proved to be a good method to contact area measurement.

An active omnidirectional vision owns the advantages of the wide field of view (FOV) imaging, resulting in an entire 3D environment scene, which is promising in the field of robot navigation. However, the existing omnidirectional vision sensors based on line laser can measure points only located on the optical plane of the line laser beam, resulting in the low-resolution reconstruction. Whereas, to improve resolution, some other omnidirectional vision sensors with the capability of projecting 2D encode pattern from projector and curved mirror. However, the astigmatism property of curve mirror causes the low-accuracy reconstruction. To solve the above problems, a rotating polygon scanning mirror is used to scan the object in the vertical direction so that an entire profile of the observed scene can be obtained at high accuracy, without of astigmatism phenomenon. Then, the proposed method is calibrated by a conventional 2D checkerboard plate. The experimental results show that the measurement error of the 3D omnidirectional sensor is approximately 1 mm. Moreover, the reconstruction of objects with different shapes based on the developed sensor is also verified.

Existing self-calibration methods for terrestrial laserscanners are predominantly point-based and plane-based. In this paper, we present a new cylinder-based self-calibration method with its variants for several scanners having different architectures and scanning mechanisms. The method not only increases the flexibility of in situ self-calibration, but also its rigor because of reduced functional dependencies between adjustment parameters. Based on the analysis of linear dependencies between columns of the design matrices for both the cylindrical and planar models, it is shown that using the vertical cylindrical model is advantageous over using the planar model as some high linear dependencies can be avoided. The proposed method and its variants were first applied to two simulated datasets, to compare their effectiveness, and then to three real datasets captured by three different types of scanners are presented: a Faro Focus 3D (a phase-based panoramic scanner); a Velodyne HDL-32E (a pulse-based multi spinning beam scanner); and a Leica ScanStation C10 (a dual operating-mode scanner). The experimental results show that the proposed method can properly estimate the additional parameters with high precision. More importantly, no high correlations were found between the additional parameters and other parameters when the network configuration is strong. The overall results indicate that the proposed calibration method is rigorous and flexible.

In order to evaluate the proper breast implant, the surgeon relies on a standard set of measurements manually taken on the subject. This approach does not allow to obtain an accurate reconstruction of the breast shape and asymmetries can easily arise after surgery. The purpose of this work is to present a method which can help the surgeon in the choice of the shape and dimensions of a prosthesis allowing for a perfect symmetry between the prosthesis and the controlateral breast and can be used as a 3D visual feedback in plastic surgery.

scanner provides the ability to detect the geometric 3D model of a building without any physical contact with the structure. Knowledge of the 3D model will give the opportunity to study the deformation and quantify the damages. Three case studies are presented relating to damaged and/or unsafe buildings: Sivillier Castle (Villasor - Sardinia- Italy), the Bell Tower of Mores (Sardinia-Italy) and industrial building (Cagliari - Italy). The first two cases concern buildings of historical and architectural importance that present a state of compromised conservation; the last, an industrial building compromised by fire. In all cases, a laserscanner survey was carried out that not only provided valuable information but also highlighted structural metric deformation and degradation.

The anatomic conditions of the female breast require imaging the breast region 3-dimensionally in a normal standing position for quality assurance and for surgery planning or surgery simulation. The goal of this work was to optimize the imaging technology for the mammary region with a 3-dimensional (3D) laserscanner, to evaluate the precision and accuracy of the method, and to allow optimum data reproducibility. Avoiding the influence of biotic factors, such as mobility, we tested the most favorable imaging technology on dummy models for scanner-related factors such as the scanner position in comparison with the torso and the number of scanners and single shots. The influence of different factors of the breast region, such as different breast shapes or premarking of anatomic landmarks, was also first investigated on dummies. The findings from the dummy models were then compared with investigations on test persons, and the accuracy of measurements on the virtual models was compared with a coincidence analysis of the manually measured values. The best precision and accuracy of breast region measurements were achieved when landmarks were marked before taking the shots and when shots at 30 degrees left and 30 degrees right, relative to the sagittal line, were taken with 2 connected scanners mounted with a +10-degree upward angle. However, the precision of the measurements on test persons was significantly lower than those measured on dummies. Our findings show that the correct settings for 3D imaging of the breast region with a laserscanner can achieve an acceptable degree of accuracy and reproducibility.

The advantages of using airborne full-waveform laserscanner data in forest applications, e.g. for the description of the vertical vegetation structure or accurate biomass estimation, have been emphasized in many publications. To exploit the full potential offered by airborne full-waveform laser scanning data, the development of voxel based methods for data analysis is essential. In contrast to existing approaches based on the extraction of discrete 3D points by a Gaussian decomposition, it is very promising to derive the voxel attributes from the digitised waveform directly. For this purpose, the waveform data have to be transferred into a 3D voxel representation. This requires a series of radiometric and geometric transformations of the raw full-waveform laserscanner data. Thus, the paper deals with the geometric aspects and describes a processing chain from the raw waveform data to an attenuationcorrected volumetric forest stand reconstruction. The integration of attenuation-corrected waveform data into the voxel space is realised with an efficient parametric voxel traversal method operating on an octree data structure. The voxel attributes are derived from the amplitudes of the attenuation-corrected waveforms. Additionally, a new 3D filtering approach is presented to eliminate non-object voxel. Applying these methods to real full-waveform laser scanning data, a voxel based representation of a spruce was generated combining three flight strips from different viewing directions.

In order to better interpret gravimetric data from orbiters such as GRAIL and LRO to understand the subsurface composition and structure of the lunar crust, it is import to have a reliable database of the density and porosity of lunar materials. To this end, we have been surveying these physical properties in both lunar meteorites and Apollo lunar samples. To measure porosity, both grain density and bulk density are required. For bulk density, our group has historically utilized sub-mm bead immersion techniques extensively, though several factors have made this technique problematic for our work with Apollo samples. Samples allocated for measurement are often smaller than optimal for the technique, leading to large error bars. Also, for some samples we were required to use pure alumina beads instead of our usual glass beads. The alumina beads were subject to undesirable static effects, producing unreliable results. Other investigators have tested the use of 3dlaserscanners on meteorites for measuring bulk volumes. Early work, though promising, was plagued with difficulties including poor response on dark or reflective surfaces, difficulty reproducing sharp edges, and large processing time for producing shape models. Due to progress in technology, however, laserscanners have improved considerably in recent years. We tested this technique on 27 lunar samples in the Apollo collection using a scanner at NASA Johnson Space Center. We found it to be reliable and more precise than beads, with the added benefit that it involves no direct contact with the sample, enabling the study of particularly friable samples for which bead immersion is not possible

The problem of calculating three dimensional (3D) sensor position (and orientation) during the digitization of real-world objects (called next best view planning or NBV) has been an active topic of research for over 20 years. While many solutions have been developed, it is hard to compare their quality based only on the exemplary results presented in papers. We implemented 13 of the most popular NBV algorithms and evaluated their performance by digitizing five objects of various properties, using three measurement heads with different working volumes mounted on a 6-axis robot with a rotating table for placing objects. The results obtained for the 13 algorithms were then compared based on four criteria: the number of directional measurements, digitization time, total positioning distance, and surface coverage required to digitize test objects with available measurement heads.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Field Robotics Center have designed and implemented a scanning laser rangefinder. The device uses a commercially available time-of-flight ranging instrument that is capable of making up to 7200 measurements per second. The laser beam is reflected by a rotating mirror, producing up to a 360 degree view. Mounted on a robot vehicle, the scanner can be used to detect obstacles in the vehicle's path or to locate the robot on a map. This report discusses the motivation, design, and some applications of the scanner.

This paper reports the evaluation tests on the reliability and validity of a 3-dimensional (3D) laser body scanner for estimation of body volume and % fat. Repeated measures of body imaging were performed for reproducibility analysis. Validity of the instrument was assessed by comparison of measures of body volume by imaging to hydrodensitometry, and body fat was compared to hydrodensitometry and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reproducibility analysis showed little difference between within-subjects measurements of volume (ICC ≥ 0.99, p < 0.01). Body volume estimations by laser body scanner and hydrodensitometry were strongly related (r = 0.99, p < 0.01), and agreement was high (ICC = 0.99, p < 0.01). Measurements of % body fat also agreed strongly with each other between methods (ICC = 0.86, p < 0.01), and mean % fat estimates by body imaging did not differ from criterion methods (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that the 3Dlaser body scanner is a reliable and valid technique for the estimation of body volume. Furthermore, body imaging is an accurate measure of body fat, as compared to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. This new instrument is promising as a quick, simple to use, and inexpensive method of body composition analysis.

We present an integrated monolithic, electrostatic 3D MEMS scanner with a compact chip size of 3.2 × 2.9 mm(2). Use of parametric excitation near resonance frequencies produced large optical deflection angles up to ± 27° and ± 28.5° in the X- and Y-axes and displacements up to 510 μm in the Z-axis with low drive voltages at atmospheric pressure. When packaged in a dual axes confocal endomicroscope, horizontal and vertical cross-sectional images can be collected seamlessly in tissue with a large field-of-view of >1 × 1 mm(2) and 1 × 0.41 mm(2), respectively, at 5 frames/sec.

Sculpting a wax ear cast for use when making a definitive prosthesis for a patient who has had auricle ablative surgery, is challenging. It requires a skilled anaplastologist along with complex instrumentation able to perform facial laser scans and reproduce anatomic details. The aim of this article is to present a technique to create a cast by laser scanning a stone cast of the existing ear. A 3Dlaserscanner develops an integrated 3D digital image of the unaffected ear, which is copied and then mirrored. A rapid prototyping machine collects the necessary data to manufacture the definitive resin ear. This procedure is time and cost effective only if the technology is free of charge.

A noninvasive, multimodal photoacoustic and optical coherence tomography (PAT/OCT) scanner for three-dimensional in vivo (3D) skin imaging is described. The system employs an integrated, all optical detection scheme for both modalities in backward mode utilizing a shared 2D optical scanner with a field-of-view of ~13 × 13 mm(2). The photoacoustic waves were detected using a Fabry Perot polymer film ultrasound sensor placed on the surface of the skin. The sensor is transparent in the spectral range 590-1200 nm. This permits the photoacoustic excitation beam (670-680 nm) and the OCT probe beam (1050 nm) to be transmitted through the sensor head and into the underlying tissue thus providing a backward mode imaging configuration. The respective OCT and PAT axial resolutions were 8 and 20 µm and the lateral resolutions were 18 and 50-100 µm. The system provides greater penetration depth than previous combined PA/OCT devices due to the longer wavelength of the OCT beam (1050 nm rather than 829-870 nm) and by operating in the tomographic rather than the optical resolution mode of photoacoustic imaging. Three-dimensional in vivo images of the vasculature and the surrounding tissue micro-morphology in murine and human skin were acquired. These studies demonstrated the complementary contrast and tissue information provided by each modality for high-resolution 3D imaging of vascular structures to depths of up to 5 mm. Potential applications include characterizing skin conditions such as tumors, vascular lesions, soft tissue damage such as burns and wounds, inflammatory conditions such as dermatitis and other superficial tissue abnormalities.

While the Medtronic O-arm was developed for image-guidance applications during orthopedic procedures, it has potential to assist in cardiac surgical and electrophysiological applications; the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a mobile conebeam imaging system (O-arm) for gated cardiac imaging. In an in vivo study (two pigs), projection data from four independently acquired breath-held scans were combined to obtain cardiac gated 3D images. Projection images were acquired during the infusion of contrast agent and while tracking the ECG. Both standard and high-definition modes of the O-arm were evaluated. Projection data were retrospectively combined to generate images corresponding to systole and diastole; different acceptance windows were investigated. The contrast to noise ratio (CNR) between blood and myocardium was compared for the different gating strategies. Gated cardiac images were successfully reconstructed with as few as two scans combined (CNR = 2.5) and a window of 200 ms. Improved image quality was achieved when selecting views based on the minimum time from the selected phase point in the cardiac cycle, rather than a fixed window; in this case the effective temporal window increased to 475 ms for two scans. The O-arm has the potential to be used as a mobile cardiac imaging system, capable of three-dimensional imaging.

In this paper we present a method that automatically yields Boundary Representation Models (B-rep) for indoors after processing dense point clouds collected by laserscanners from key locations through an existing facility. Our objective is particularly focused on providing single models which contain the shape, location and relationship of primitive structural elements of inhabited scenarios such as walls, ceilings and floors. We propose a discretization of the space in order to accurately segment the 3D data and generate complete B-rep models of indoors in which faces, edges and vertices are coherently connected. The approach has been tested in real scenarios with data coming from laserscanners yielding promising results. We have deeply evaluated the results by analyzing how reliably these elements can be detected and how accurately they are modeled.

The thirst for bandwidth in telecommunications networks is becoming ever larger due to bandwidth hungry applications such as video-on-demand. To further increase the bandwidth capacity, engineers are now seeking to imprint information on the last remaining degree of freedom of the lightwave carrier - space. This has given rise to the field of Space Division Multiplexing (SDM). In essence, the concept of SDM simple; we aim to use the different spatial modes of an optical fibre as multiplexed data transmission channels. These modes could either be in the form of separate singlemodes in a multicore optical fibre, individual spatial modes of a multimode fibre, or indeed the individual spatial modes of a multimode multicore optical fibre. Regardless of the particular "flavour" of SDM in question, it is clear that significant interfacing issues exist between the optical fibres used in SDM and the conventional single-mode planar lightwave circuits that are essential to process the light (e.g. arrayed waveguide gratings and splitters), and efficient interconnect technologies will be required. One fabrication technology that has emerged as a possible route to solve these interconnection issues is ultrafast laser inscription (ULI), which relies on the use of focused ultrashort laser pulses to directly inscribe three-dimensional waveguide structures inside a bulk dielectric. In this paper, I describe some of the work that has been conducted around the world to apply the unique waveguide fabrication capabilities of ULI to the development of 3D photonic components for applications in SDM.

The problem of 3D TVS slow functioning caused by constant small scanning step becomes its solution in the presented research. It can be achieved by combined scanning step application for the fast search of n obstacles in unknown surroundings. Such a problem is of keynote importance in automatic robot navigation. To maintain a reasonable speed robots must detect dangerous obstacles as soon as possible, but all known scanners able to measure distances with sufficient accuracy are unable to do it in real time. So, the related technical task of the scanning with variable speed and precise digital mapping only for selected spatial sectors is under consideration. A wide range of simulations in MATLAB 7.12.0 of several variants of hypothetic scenes with variable n obstacles in each scene (including variation of shapes and sizes) and scanning with incremented angle value (0.6° up to 15°) is provided. The aim of such simulation was to detect which angular values of interval still permit getting the maximal information about obstacles without undesired time losses. Three of such local maximums were obtained in simulations and then rectified by application of neuronal network formalism (Levenberg-Marquradt Algorithm). The obtained results in its turn were applied to MET (Micro-Electro-mechanical Transmission) design for practical realization of variable combined step scanning on an experimental prototype of our previously known laserscanner.

We propose a method for the precise 3D see-through imaging, or transparent visualization, of the large-scale and complex point clouds acquired via the laser scanning of 3D cultural heritage objects. Our method is based on a stochastic algorithm and directly uses the 3D points, which are acquired using a laserscanner, as the rendering primitives. This method achieves the correct depth feel without requiring depth sorting of the rendering primitives along the line of sight. Eliminating this need allows us to avoid long computation times when creating natural and precise 3D see-through views of laser-scanned cultural heritage objects. The opacity of each laser-scanned object is also flexibly controllable. For a laser-scanned point cloud consisting of more than 107 or 108 3D points, the pre-processing requires only a few minutes, and the rendering can be executed at interactive frame rates. Our method enables the creation of cumulative 3D see-through images of time-series laser-scanned data. It also offers the possibility of fused visualization for observing a laser-scanned object behind a transparent high-quality photographic image placed in the 3D scene. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by applying it to festival floats of high cultural value. These festival floats have complex outer and inner 3D structures and are suitable for see-through imaging.

This work’s aim was to minimize the acquisition time of a radial 3D ultra-short echo-time (UTE) sequence and to provide fully automated, gradient delay compensated, and therefore artifact free, reconstruction. The radial 3D UTE sequence (echo time 60 μs) was implemented as single echo acquisition with center-out readouts and improved time efficient spoiling on a clinical 3T scanner without hardware modifications. To assess the sequence parameter dependent gradient delays each acquisition contained a quick calibration scan and utilized the phase of the readouts to detect the actual k-space center. This calibration scan does not require any user interaction. To evaluate the robustness of this automatic delay estimation phantom experiments were performed and 19 in vivo imaging data of the head, tibial cortical bone, feet and lung were acquired from 6 volunteers. As clinical application of this fast 3D UTE acquisition single breath-hold lung imaging is demonstrated. The proposed sequence allowed very short repetition times (TR~1ms), thus reducing total acquisition time. The proposed, fully automated k-phase based gradient delay calibration resulted in accurate delay estimations (difference to manually determined optimal delay −0.13 ± 0.45 μs) and allowed unsupervised reconstruction of high quality images for both phantom and in vivo data. The employed fast spoiling scheme efficiently suppressed artifacts caused by incorrectly refocused echoes. The sequence proved to be quite insensitive to motion, flow and susceptibility artifacts and provides oversampling protection against aliasing foldovers in all directions. Due to the short TR, acquisition times are attractive for a wide range of clinical applications. For short T2* mapping this sequence provides free choice of the second TE, usually within less scan time as a comparable dual echo UTE sequence. PMID:26975051

This work's aim was to minimize the acquisition time of a radial 3D ultra-short echo-time (UTE) sequence and to provide fully automated, gradient delay compensated, and therefore artifact free, reconstruction. The radial 3D UTE sequence (echo time 60 μs) was implemented as single echo acquisition with center-out readouts and improved time efficient spoiling on a clinical 3T scanner without hardware modifications. To assess the sequence parameter dependent gradient delays each acquisition contained a quick calibration scan and utilized the phase of the readouts to detect the actual k-space center. This calibration scan does not require any user interaction. To evaluate the robustness of this automatic delay estimation phantom experiments were performed and 19 in vivo imaging data of the head, tibial cortical bone, feet and lung were acquired from 6 volunteers. As clinical application of this fast 3D UTE acquisition single breath-hold lung imaging is demonstrated. The proposed sequence allowed very short repetition times (TR~1ms), thus reducing total acquisition time. The proposed, fully automated k-phase based gradient delay calibration resulted in accurate delay estimations (difference to manually determined optimal delay -0.13 ± 0.45 μs) and allowed unsupervised reconstruction of high quality images for both phantom and in vivo data. The employed fast spoiling scheme efficiently suppressed artifacts caused by incorrectly refocused echoes. The sequence proved to be quite insensitive to motion, flow and susceptibility artifacts and provides oversampling protection against aliasing foldovers in all directions. Due to the short TR, acquisition times are attractive for a wide range of clinical applications. For short T2* mapping this sequence provides free choice of the second TE, usually within less scan time as a comparable dual echo UTE sequence.

The paper presents the mobile multi-sensor system Orthos Plus for the monitoring and mapping of tunnel walls, a scan data processing method for the evaluation of 3-d tunnel wall displacements from subsequent wall scans and, finally, a virtual reality tool supporting the interpretation of data. The measuring system consists of a 3-dlaserscanner, a motorised total station and a digital camera that are integrated on a light metal frame that is installed on a mobile platform. It has been designed to perform tunnel measurements most efficiently and to meet the special requirements of tunnels under construction. The evaluation of 3-d displacements is based on a 3-d matching algorithm that takes advantage of the particular conditions of tunnel (shotcrete) surfaces. The virtual reality tool allows viewing of data in a 3-d virtual reality tunnel model and their animation in time and space in order supports understanding in an optimal way. The measuring system Orthos Plus has been developed in the course of a national research project, the 3-d matching method in the frame of the Austrian Christian Doppler Laboratory Spatial Data from Laser Scanning and Remote Sensing and the VR tool in the Austrian COMET K1 Competence Center VRVis Center (www.vrvis.at).

The dual beam of cw-350 W single-mode near-IR fiber laser and ns-pulsed-35 W UV laser were used in the experiments for cutting. The laser beam on the sample surface was scanned with a galvanometer scanner and focused with the f-theta lens of 400 mm focal length for IR and UV laser irradiations. A prototype remote scanner head for the multiple laser irradiations has been developed for a high-quality and high-speed laser processing of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). In this paper, we report on the laser trepanning of circular patterns on CFRP.

Waveform calibration is a crucial task in the processing of full-waveform laserscanner data. In most cases, there is a non-linear relationship between the "raw" waveform data stored by the sensor system and the actual input power. However, to establish standardized methods for the post processing of waveform data, input data related linearly to the power input are required. For some commercially available systems, this problem is handled by using a look-up table (LUT) as a transfer function from the "raw" amplitude (stored by the sensor system) of the peaks of the waveforms to their actual amplitude. Since the transformation is only valid for the peaks of the waveform, the question arises how this transformation would perturbate the shape (i.e. position, width and amplitude) of a backscattered laser pulse if applied to the whole waveform. This paper discusses the effects of the use of such non-linear transfer functions on complex laserscanner waveforms.

We present an optical measuring system based on laser structured light suitable for its diary use in orthodontics clinics that fit four main requirements: (1) to avoid use of stone models, (2) to automatically discriminate geometric points belonging to teeth and gum, (3) to automatically calculate diagnostic parameters used by orthodontists, (4) to make use of low cost and easy to use technology for future commercial use. Proposed technique is based in the use of hydrocolloids mould used by orthodontists for stone model obtention. These mould of the inside of patient's mouth are composed of very fluent materials like alginate or hydrocolloids that reveal fine details of dental anatomy. Alginate mould are both very easy to obtain and very low costly. Once captured, alginate moulds are digitized by mean of a newly developed and patented 3D dental scanner. Developed scanner is based in the optical triangulation method based in the projection of a laser line on the alginate mould surface. Line deformation gives uncalibrated shape information. Relative linear movements of the mould with respect to the sensor head gives more sections thus obtaining a full 3D uncalibrated dentition model. Developed device makes use of redundant CCD in the sensor head and servocontrolled linear axis for mould movement. Last step is calibration to get a real and precise X, Y, Z image. All the process is done automatically. The scanner has been specially adapted for 3D dental anatomy capturing in order to fulfill specific requirements such as: scanning time, accuracy, security and correct acquisition of 'hidden points' in alginate mould. Measurement realized on phantoms with known geometry quite similar to dental anatomy present errors less than 0,1 mm. Scanning of global dental anatomy is 2 minutes, and generation of 3D graphics of dental cast takes approximately 30 seconds in a Pentium-based PC.

Throughout childhood, braincase and face grow at different rates and therefore exhibit variable proportions and positions relative to each other. Our understanding of the direction and magnitude of these growth patterns is crucial for many ergonomic applications and can be improved by advanced 3D morphometrics. The purpose of this study is to investigate this known growth allometry using 3D imaging techniques. The geometry of the head and face of 840 children, aged 2 to 19, was captured with a laser surface scanner and analyzed statistically. From each scan, 18 landmarks were extracted and registered using General Procrustes Analysis (GPA). GPA eliminates unwanted variation due to position, orientation and scale by applying a least-squares superimposition algorithm to individual landmark configurations. This approach provides the necessary normalization for the study of differences in size, shape, and their interaction (allometry). The results show that throughout adolescence, boys and girls follow a different growth trajectory, leading to marked differences not only in size but also in shape, most notably in relative proportions of the braincase. These differences can be observed during early childhood, but become most noticeable after the age of 13 years, when craniofacial growth in girls slows down significantly, whereas growth in boys continues for at least 3 more years.

Remote sensing techniques used for providing data on earth sciences have rapidly developed in recent years. Usage of remote sensing for monitoring of slopes have made a lot of progress in the last decade. The most important benefit of remote sensing applications on slope monitoring is safe working conditions with high accurate results. Terrestrial laserscanners are one of the ground-based remote sensing equipment which provide detailed and highly accurate 3D data. In this study terrestrial laserscanner method was carried out for monitoring the landslide at Tuncbilek Open pit stripping area and also optical images were evaluated for determining the development of landslide. The head part of landslide was measured with terrestrial laserscanner at three various dates and the point cloud of head part of landslide were created. Then the three-point cloud were compared. Also six optical satellite image with resolution 1m and below were examined for determining the development of landslide between 2001 and 2013

A dataset of a fit assessment study in children is presented. Anthropometric measurements of 113 children were obtained using a 3D body scanner. Children tested a t-shirt of different sizes and a different model for boys and girls, and their fit was assessed by an expert. This expert labeled the fit as 0 (correct), -1 (if the garment was small for that child), or 1 (if the garment was large for that child) in an ordered factor called Size-fit. Moreover, the fit was numerically assessed from 1 (very poor fit) to 10 (perfect fit) in a variable called Expert evaluation. This data set contains the differences between the reference mannequin of the evaluated size and the child׳s anthropometric measurements for 27 variables. Besides these variables, in the data set, we can also find the gender, the size evaluated, and the size recommended by the expert, including if an intermediate, but nonexistent size between two consecutive sizes would have been the right size. In total, there are 232 observations. The analysis of these data can be found in Pierola et al. (2016) [2].

The development of laser scanning technology has opened a new page in geodesy and enabled an entirely new way of presenting data. Products obtained by the method of laser scanning are used in many sciences, as well as in archaeology. It should be noted that 3D models of archaeological artefacts obtained by laser scanning are fully measurable, written in 1:1 scale and have high accuracy. On the other hand, texture and RGB values of the surface of the object obtained by a laserscanner have lower resolution and poorer radiometric characteristics in relation to the textures captured with a digital camera. Scientific research and the goal of this paper are to increase the accuracy and readability of the 3D model with textures obtained with a digital camera. Laser scanning was performed with triangulation scanner of high accuracy, Vivid 9i (Konica Minolta), while for photogrammetric recording digital camera Nikon D90 with a lens of fixed focal length 20 mm, was used. It is important to stress that a posteriori accuracy score of the global registration of point clouds in the form of the standard deviation was ± 0.136 mm while the average distance was only ± 0.080 mm. Also research has proven that the quality projection texture model increases readability. Recording of archaeological artefacts and making their photorealistic 3D model greatly contributes to archaeology as a science, accelerates processing and reconstruction of the findings. It also allows the presentation of findings to the general public, not just to the experts.

Irregular surfaces mapped and digitized for numerical-control machinery. Fast, accurate laser scanning system measures size and shape of cavity without making any physical contact with cavity and walls. Measurements processed into control signals for numerically controlled machining of tile or block to fit cavity. System generates map of grid points representing cavity and portion of outer surface surrounding cavity. Map data used to control milling machine, which cuts tile or block to fit in cavity.

We measured count rates and scatter fraction on the Discovery STE PET/CT scanner in conventional 2D and 3D acquisition modes, and in a partial collimation mode between 2D and 3D. As part of the evaluation of using partial collimation, we estimated global count rates using a scanner model that combined computer simulations with an empirical live-time function. Our measurements followed the NEMA NU2 count rate and scatter-fraction protocol to obtain true, scattered and random coincidence events, from which noise equivalent count (NEC) rates were calculated. The effect of patient size was considered by using 27 cm and 35 cm diameter phantoms, in addition to the standard 20 cm diameter cylindrical count-rate phantom. Using the scanner model, we evaluated two partial collimation cases: removing half of the septa (2.5D) and removing two-thirds of the septa (2.7D). Based on predictions of the model, a 2.7D collimator was constructed. Count rates and scatter fractions were then measured in 2D, 2.7D and 3D. The scanner model predicted relative NEC variation with activity, as confirmed by measurements. The measured 2.7D NEC was equal or greater than 3D NEC for all activity levels in the 27 cm and 35 cm phantoms. In the 20 cm phantom, 3D NEC was somewhat higher ( approximately 15%) than 2.7D NEC at 100 MBq. For all higher activity concentrations, 2.7D NEC was greater and peaked 26% above the 3D peak NEC. The peak NEC in 2.7D mode occurred at approximately 425 MBq, and was 26-50% greater than the peak 3D NEC, depending on object size. NEC in 2D was considerably lower, except at relatively high activity concentrations. Partial collimation shows promise for improved noise equivalent count rates in clinical imaging without altering other detector parameters.

The major problem in an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is the proper use of sensor measurements and recognition of the surrounding environment. To this end, there are several types of sensors to consider, one of which is the laserscanner. In this paper, we propose a method to segment the measurement of the surrounding environment as obtained by a multi-layer laserscanner. In the segmentation, a full set of measurements is decomposed into several segments, each representing a single object. Sometimes a ghost is detected due to the ground or fog, and the ghost has to be eliminated to ensure the stability of the system. The proposed method is implemented on a real vehicle, and its performance is tested in a real-world environment. The experiments show that the proposed method demonstrates good performance in many real-life situations.

The major problem in an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is the proper use of sensor measurements and recognition of the surrounding environment. To this end, there are several types of sensors to consider, one of which is the laserscanner. In this paper, we propose a method to segment the measurement of the surrounding environment as obtained by a multi-layer laserscanner. In the segmentation, a full set of measurements is decomposed into several segments, each representing a single object. Sometimes a ghost is detected due to the ground or fog, and the ghost has to be eliminated to ensure the stability of the system. The proposed method is implemented on a real vehicle, and its performance is tested in a real-world environment. The experiments show that the proposed method demonstrates good performance in many real-life situations. PMID:25356645

Mobile 3Dlaser scanning technology is one hot kind of digital earth technology. 3D completion surveying is relative new concept in surveying and mapping. A kind of mobile 3Dlaser scanning system was developed for the urban underground rail 3D completion surveying. According to the characteristics of underground rail environment and the characters of the mobile laser scanning system, it designed a suitable test scheme to improving the accuracy of this kind of mobile laser scanning system when it worked under no GPS signal environment. Then it completed the application of this technology in the No.15 rail 3D completion surveying. Meanwhile a set of production process was made for the 3D completion surveying based on this kind of mobile 3Dlaser scanning technology. These products were also proved the efficiency of the new technology in the rail 3D completion surveying. Using mobile 3Dlaser scanning technology to complete underground rail completion surveying has been the first time in China until now. It can provide a reference for 3D measurement of rail completion surveying or the 3D completion surveying of other areas.

We evaluated the performance of the ECAT EXACT HR{sup +} 3D whole body PET scanner when employed to measure brain function using {sup 15}O-water-bolus activation protocols in single data acquisition sessions. Using vibrotactile and auditory stimuli as independent activation tasks, we studied the scanner`s performance under different imaging conditions in four healthy volunteers. Cerebral blood flow images were acquired from each volunteer using {sup 15}O-water-bolus injections of activity varying from 5 to 20mCi. Performance characteristics. The scanner`s dead time grew linearly with injected dose from 10% to 25%. Random events varied from 30% to 50% of the detected events. Scattered events were efficiently corrected at all doses. Noise-effective-count curves plateau at about 15mCi. One-session 12-injection bolus PET activation protocol. Using an acquisition protocol that accounts for the scanner`s performance and the practical aspects of imaging volunteers and patients in one session, we assessed the correlation between the statistical significance of activation foci and the dose per injection used The one-session protocol employs 12 bolus injections per subject. We present evidence suggesting that 15-20mCi is the optimal dose per injection to be used routinely in one-time scanning sessions.

The antennas of the Deep Space Network (DSN) rely on precise pointing algorithms to communicate with spacecraft that are billions of miles away. Although the existing systematic error pointing model is effective at reducing blind pointing errors due to static misalignments, several of its terms have a strong dependence on seasonal and even daily thermal variation and are thus not easily modeled. Changes in the thermal state of the structure create a separation from the model and introduce a varying pointing offset. Compensating for this varying offset is possible by augmenting the pointing model with laserscanners. In this approach, laserscanners mounted to the alidade measure structural displacements while a series of transformations generate correction angles. Two sets of experiments were conducted in August 2015 using commercially available laserscanners. When compared with historical monopulse corrections under similar conditions, the computed corrections are within 3 mdeg of the mean. However, although the results show promise, several key challenges relating to the sensitivity of the optical equipment to sunlight render an implementation of this approach impractical. Other measurement devices such as inclinometers may be implementable at a significantly lower cost.

Terrestrial laserscanners (TLS) have widely been used for high spatial resolution data acquisition of topographic features and geomorphic analyses. Existing applications encompass different landslides including rockfall, translational or rotational landslides, debris flow, but also coastal cliff erosion, braided river evolution or river bank erosion. The main advantages of TLS are (a) the high spatial sampling density of XYZ-measurements (e.g. 1 point every 2-3 mm at 10 m distance), particularly in comparison with the low data density monitoring techniques such as GNSS or total stations, (b) the millimeter accuracy and precision of the range measurement to centimeter accuracy of the final DEM, and (c) the highly dense area-wide scanning that enables to look through vegetation and to measure bare ground. One of its main constraints is the temporal resolution of acquired data due to labor costs and time requirements for field campaigns. Thus, repetition measurements are generally performed only episodically. However, for an increased scientific understanding of the processes as well as for early warning purposes, we present a novel permanent 3D monitoring setup to increase the temporal resolution of TLS measurements. This accounts for different potential monitoring deliverables such as volumetric calculations, spatio-temporal movement patterns, predictions and even alerting. This system was installed at the active Salcher landslide in Gresten (Austria) that is situated in the transition zone of the Gresten Klippenbelt (Helvetic) and the Flyschzone (Penninic). The characteristic lithofacies are the Gresten Beds of Early Jurassic age that are covered by a sequence of marly and silty beds with intercalated sandy limestones. Permanent data acquisition can be implemented into our workflow with any long-range TLS system offering fully automated capturing. We utilize an Optech ILRIS-3Dscanner. The time interval between two scans is currently set to 24 hours, but can be

A novel holographic laser beam deflector is described which is invariant with regard to deflector wobble and centration errors, has high radiometric efficiency and provides a bow free scan. The deflector's insensitivity to mechanical error and absence of facet pyramidal error enables a flat field, linearized, high resolution image to be generated utilizing only a simple spherical optical system. In addition to the cost benefits derived from using spherical optical elements, the inherent symmetry they provide readily enables the deflector system to be extended to two dimensional scanning applications. Performance data for a hologon deflector system operating at 633 nm will be presented. Also, a procedure for determining what parameters must be incorporated into the hologon deflector element for nonimpact printing applications will be outlined.

Novel electrofluidic microdevices based on monolithic integration of 3D metal electrodes into 3D glass microchannels have been prepared by femtosecond (fs) laser hybrid microfabrication. 3D microchannels with smooth internal walls are first prepared in photosensitive glass by fs laser-assisted chemical wet etching process combined with post-annealing. Then, 3D electrode patterning in prepared glass channels is carried out by water-assisted fs-laser direct-write ablation using the same laser followed by electroless metal plating. Laser processing parameters are optimized and the roles of water during the laser irradiation are discussed. The fabricated electrofluidic devices are applied to demonstrate 3D electro-orientation of cells in microfluidic environments.

Professionals in wheelchair seating services over several decades have captured many thousands of patient shapes in various forms to manufacture customized seating systems for people with complex disabilities. With the exception of a few commercial companies, the predominant methodology employs a plaster casting technique to record the required shape. This can be labour-intensive and shape information is often retained in the cast and may not be recoverable over time due to storage issues. This paper describes the development of processes utilizing a laserscanner to advance the fabrication of customized seating systems. The study employed two 3Dlaserscanners and hence validated the use of the lower cost scanner (accuracy ± 0.1 mm) for both research purposes and clinical work. The paper concludes that these technologies have the potential to develop the knowledge of individuals' shapes with complex disabilities within specialist seating and other clinical fields.

Following the pioneering work introduced in [Lehtola et al., ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens. 99, 2015, pp. 25-29], we extend the state-of-the-art intrinsic localization solution for a single two-dimensional (2D) laserscanner from one into (quasi) three dimensions (3D). By intrinsic localization, we mean that no external sensors are used to localize the scanner, such as inertial measurement devices (IMU) or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Specifically, the proposed method builds on a novel concept of local support-based filtering of outliers, which enables the use of six degrees-of-freedom (DoF) simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for the purpose of enacting appropriate trajectory corrections into the previous one-dimensional solution. Moreover, the local support-based filtering concept is platform independent, and is therefore likely to be widely generalizable. The here presented overall method is yet limited into quasi-3D by its inability to recover trajectories with steep curvature, but in the future, it may be further extended into full 3D.

Fast 16-slice spiral CT delivers superior cardiac visualization in comparison to older generation 2- to 8-slice scanners due to the combination of high temporal resolution along with isotropic spatial resolution and large coverage. The large beam opening of such scanners necessitates the use of adequate algorithms to avoid cone beam artifacts. We have developed a multi-cycle phase selective 3D back projection reconstruction algorithm that provides excellent temporal and spatial resolution for 16-slice CT cardiac images free of cone beam artifacts.

The Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technique has been used for autonomous navigation of mobile systems; now, its applications have been extended to 3D data acquisition of indoor environments. In order to reconstruct 3D scenes of indoor space, the kinematic 3Dlaser scanning system, developed herein, carries three laser range finders (LRFs): one is mounted horizontally for system-position correction and the other two are mounted vertically to collect 3D point-cloud data of the surrounding environment along the system's trajectory. However, the kinematic laser scanning results can be impaired by errors resulting from sensor misalignment. In the present study, the bore-sight calibration of multiple LRF sensors was performed using a specially designed double-deck calibration facility, which is composed of two half-circle-shaped aluminum frames. Moreover, in order to automatically achieve point-to-point correspondences between a scan point and the target center, a V-shaped target was designed as well. The bore-sight calibration parameters were estimated by a constrained least squares method, which iteratively minimizes the weighted sum of squares of residuals while constraining some highly-correlated parameters. The calibration performance was analyzed by means of a correlation matrix. After calibration, the visual inspection of mapped data and residual calculation confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed calibration approach.

The Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technique has been used for autonomous navigation of mobile systems; now, its applications have been extended to 3D data acquisition of indoor environments. In order to reconstruct 3D scenes of indoor space, the kinematic 3Dlaser scanning system, developed herein, carries three laser range finders (LRFs): one is mounted horizontally for system-position correction and the other two are mounted vertically to collect 3D point-cloud data of the surrounding environment along the system’s trajectory. However, the kinematic laser scanning results can be impaired by errors resulting from sensor misalignment. In the present study, the bore-sight calibration of multiple LRF sensors was performed using a specially designed double-deck calibration facility, which is composed of two half-circle-shaped aluminum frames. Moreover, in order to automatically achieve point-to-point correspondences between a scan point and the target center, a V-shaped target was designed as well. The bore-sight calibration parameters were estimated by a constrained least squares method, which iteratively minimizes the weighted sum of squares of residuals while constraining some highly-correlated parameters. The calibration performance was analyzed by means of a correlation matrix. After calibration, the visual inspection of mapped data and residual calculation confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed calibration approach. PMID:25946627

In the present study an in-house developed leucodye micelle gel was used in combination with an in-house developed optical laserscanner for the 3D dose verification of an IMRT treatment of a pituitary adenoma. In an initial prospective study, a gel measured depth dose distribution of a square 6 MV photon beam was compared with an ion chamber measurement. In a second experiment, the gel and scanner were used to verify a clinical dose distribution on a recently installed linear accelerator. The calibration procedure is identified as the major source of dose deviations.

The full potential of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) is often limited by localization artifacts, motion-related artifacts, scanner instabilities, and long measurement times. Localized adiabatic selective refocusing (LASER) provides accurate B1-insensitive spatial excitation even at high magnetic fields. Spiral encoding accelerates MRSI acquisition, and thus, enables 3D-coverage without compromising spatial resolution. Real-time position- and shim/frequency-tracking using MR navigators correct motion- and scanner instability-related artifacts. Each of these three advanced MRI techniques provides superior MRSI data compared to commonly used methods. In this work, we integrated in a single pulse sequence these three promising approaches. Real-time correction of motion, shim, and frequency-drifts using volumetric dual-contrast echo planar imaging-based navigators were implemented in an MRSI sequence that uses low-power gradient modulated short-echo time LASER localization and time efficient spiral readouts, in order to provide fast and robust 3D-MRSI in the human brain at 3T. The proposed sequence was demonstrated to be insensitive to motion- and scanner drift-related degradations of MRSI data in both phantoms and volunteers. Motion and scanner drift artifacts were eliminated and excellent spectral quality was recovered in the presence of strong movement. Our results confirm the expected benefits of combining a spiral 3D-LASER-MRSI sequence with real-time correction. The new sequence provides accurate, fast, and robust 3D metabolic imaging of the human brain at 3T. This will further facilitate the use of 3D-MRSI for neuroscience and clinical applications.

Radiochromic and radiographic films are widely used for radiation dosimetry due to the advantage of high spatial resolution and two-dimensional dose measurement. Different types of scanners, including various models of flatbed scanners, have been used as part of the dosimetry readout procedure. This paper focuses on the characterization of the EBT2 film response in combination with a Microtek ScanMaker 9800XL scanner and the subsequent use in the dosimetric verification of a 3D conformal radiotherapy treatment. The film reproducibility and scanner uniformity of the Microtek ScanMaker 9800XL was studied. A three-field 3D conformal radiotherapy treatment was planned on an anthropomorphic phantom and EBT2 film measurements were carried out to verify the treatment. The interfilm reproducibility was found to be 0.25%. Over a period of three months, the films darkened by 1%. The scanner reproducibility was ± 2% and a nonuniformity was ±1.9% along the direction perpendicular to the scan direction. EBT2 measurements showed an underdose of 6.2% at high-dose region compared to TPS predicted dose. This may be due to the inability of the treatment planning system to predict the correct dose distribution in the presence of tissue inhomogeneities and the uncertainty of the scanner reproducibility and uniformity. The use of EBT2 film in conjunction with the axial CT image of the anthropomorphic phantom allows the evaluation of the anatomical location of dose discrepancies between the EBT2 measured dose distribution and TPS predicted dose distribution.

Laser welding for automotive bodies has been introduced mainly by European car manufacturers since more than 10 years ago. Their purposes of laser welding introduction were mainly vehicle performance improvement and lightweight. And laser welding was applied to limited portion where shapes of panels are simple and easy to fit welded flanges. Toyota also has introduced laser welding onto 3 dimensional parts named trough panel since 1999. Our purpose of the introduction was common use of equipment. Trough panel has a complex shape and different shapes in each car type. In order to realize common use of welding equipment, we introduced parts locating equipment which had unique, small & simple jigs fo each car type and NC (Numerical Controlled) locators and air-cooled small laser head developed by ourselves to the trough welding process. Laser welding replaced spot welding and was applied linearly like stitches. Length of laser welding was determined according to comparison with statistic tensile strength and fatigue strength of spot welding.

The paper reports the workflow of 3D modelling and photorealistic texture mapping based on close range imagery acquired through a terrestrial laser scan and a camera mounted on a mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The 3D models of the same architectural object - a watchtower named "Torre Pelosa" (Bari, Italy) - were compared in order to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the used instruments and methods. The evaluated parameters where geo-referencing capability, manageability, manoeuvrability, operational constraint, survey completeness and costs. Despite a lower accuracy of the results, the use of a UAV mounted camera is essential to obtain a whole representation of the tower.

3D reconstruction of surfaces is an important topic in computer vision and corresponds to a large field of applications: industrial inspection, reverse engineering, object recognition, biometry, archeology… Because of the large varieties of applications, one can find in the literature a lot of approaches which can be classified into two families: passive and active [1]. Certainly because of their reliability, active approaches, using imaging system with an additional controlled light source, seem to be the most commonly used in the industrial field. In this domain, the 3D digitization approach based on active 3D triangulation has had important developments during the last ten years [2] and seems to be mature today if considering the important number of systems proposed by manufacturers. Unfortunately, the performances of active 3Dscanners depend on the optical properties of the surface to digitize. As an example, on Fig 1.a, a 3D shape with a diffuse surface has been digitized with Comet V scanner (Steinbichler). The 3D reconstruction is presented on Fig 1.b. The same experiment was carried out on a similar object (same shape) but presenting a specular surface (Fig 1.c and Fig 1.d) ; it can clearly be observed, that the specularity influences of the performance of the digitization.

The issues are described which are associated with using a laserscanner for visual sensing and the methods developed by the author to address them. A laserscanner is a device that controls the direction of a laser beam by deflecting it through a pair of orthogonal mirrors, the orientations of which are specified by a computer. If a calibrated laserscanner is combined with a calibrated camera, it is possible to perform three dimensional sensing by directing the laser at objects within the field of view of the camera. There are several issues associated with using a laserscanner for three dimensional visual sensing that must be addressed in order to use the laserscanner effectively. First, methods are needed to calibrate the laserscanner and estimate three dimensional points. Second, methods to estimate three dimensional points using a calibrated camera and laserscanner are required. Third, methods are required for locating the laser spot in a cluttered image. Fourth, mathematical models that predict the laserscanner's performance and provide structure for three dimensional data points are necessary. Several methods were developed to address each of these and has evaluated them to determine how and when they should be applied. The theoretical development, implementation, and results when used in a dual arm eighteen degree of freedom robotic system for space assembly is described.

We present the design for a new indoor mapping system based on three 2D laserscanners as well as a method to process the range measurements such that the pose of the system and the planes of floor, ceiling and walls can be estimated simultaneously. By the combined use of the measurements of all three scanners the pose of the system can be reconstructed in 3D without the need for an IMU. The six pose parameters are modelled as a continuous function over time such that scan line deformations caused by rapid scanner movements do not lead to biases in the estimated poses. The theoretical feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by analysing reconstruction results derived from simulated sensor data of two indoor models. Assuming a perfectly calibrated sensor and ranging noise of 3 cm, the results on data in 10x20 m corridor show that the plane orientation precision is better than 0.1 degree and that the standard deviation of plane-to-plane distances is below 1.5 cm after three loops in the corridor.

A compact two-dimensional laserscanner based on piezoelectric actuators is presented. The scanner consists of two single-axis laserscanners placed perpendicular to each other, which exhibit the advantages of small size, large angle, high scanning speed, and high linearity. The mechanical structure and principle of the scanner are introduced and the performance of the scanner is experimentally investigated. The result shows that the maximum angle of the scanner is approximately 9.315 deg with a main resonant frequency of 1242 Hz. An open-loop controller based on a hysteresis compensation algorithm and analog notch filter is proposed. Its nonlinearity is reduced to ±0.5% after compensation. High frequency scanning and the step response of the scanner are also studied to demonstrate the performance and effectiveness of the scanner.

The 3Dlaser direct-writing technology is aimed at the modeling of arbitrary three-dimensional (3D) complex microstructures by scanning a laser-focusing point along predetermined trajectories. Through the perspective technique, the details of designed 3D structures can be properly fabricated in a microchannel. This study introduces a direct reading flow meter and a 3D passive mixer fabricated by laser direct writing for microfluidic applications. The flow meter consists of two rod-shaped springs, a pillar, an anchor, and a wedge-shaped indicator, installed inside a microfluidic channel. The indicator is deflected by the flowing fluid while restrained by the spring to establish an equilibrium indication according to the flow rate. The measurement is readily carried out by optical microscopy observation. The 3D passive Archimedes-screw-shaped mixer is designed to disturb the laminar flow 3D direction for enhancing the mixing efficiency. The simulation results indicate that the screw provides 3D disturbance of streamlines in the microchannel. The mixing demonstration for fluids flowing in the micrchannel approximately agrees with the simulation result. Thanks to the advantage of the laser direct writing technology, this study performs the ingenious applications of 3D structures for microchannels.

3D conductive microstructures containing gold are fabricated by simultaneous photopolymerization and photoreduction via direct laser writing. The photoresist employed consists of water-soluble polymers and a gold precursor. The fabricated microstructures show good conductivity and are successfully employed for 3D connections between gold pads.

Cranial defect restoration requires a suitable implant capable to fulfill protective and aesthetic functions, such as polymeric and metallic implants. Nevertheless, the former materials cannot provide osteointegration of the implant within the host bone nor implant resorption, which is also required in pediatricorthopedics for normal patient growth. Resorbable and osteoconductivebioceramics are employed, such as silicate bioactive glasses. Nevertheless, manufacturing based on conventional casting in graphite moulds is not effective for warped shape implants suitable for patient tailored treatments. In this work, we analyze the application of rapid prototyping based on laser cladding to manufacture bioactive glass implants for low load bearing bone restoration. This laser-assisted additive technique is capable to produce three-dimensional geometries tailored to patient, with reduced fabrication time and implant composition modification. The obtained samples were characterized; the relationships between the processing conditions and the measured features were studied, in addition to the biological behavior analysis.

This first three-dimensional picture of Mars' north pole enables scientists to estimate the volume of its water ice cap with unprecedented precision, and to study its surface variations and the heights of clouds in the region for the first time.

Approximately 2.6 million of these laser pulse measurements were assembled into a topographic grid of the north pole with a spatial resolution of 0.6 miles (one kilometer) and a vertical accuracy of 15-90 feet (5-30 meters).

The principal investigator for MOLA is Dr. David E. Smith of Goddard. The MOLA instrument was designed and built by the Laser Remote Sensing Branch of Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics at Goddard. The Mars Global Surveyor Mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for the NASA Office of Space Science.

With the advancement of 3D printing new opportunities are abound in many different fields, but with the balance between the precisions of atomic physics experiments and the material properties of current 3D printers the benefit of 3D printing technology needs to be investigated. We report on the progress of two investigations of 3D printing of benefit to atomic physics experiments: laser feedback module and the other being an optical chopper. The first investigation looks into creation of a 3D printed laser diode feedback module. This 3D printed module would allow for the quick realization of an external cavity diode laser that would have an adjustable cavity distance. We will report on the first tests of this system, by looking at Rb spectroscopy and mode-hop free tuning range as well as possibilities of using these lasers for MOT generation. We will also discuss our investigation into a 3D-printed optical chopper that utilizes an Arduino and a computer hard drive motor. By implementing an additional Arduino we create a low cost way to quickly measure laser beam waists.

With the advancement of 3D printing new opportunities are abound in many different fields, but with the balance between the precisions of atomic physics experiments and the material properties of current 3D printers the benefit of 3D printing technology needs to be investigated. We report on the progress of two investigations of 3D printing of benefit to atomic physics experiments: laser feedback module and the other being an optical chopper. The first investigation looks into creation of a 3D printed laser diode feedback module. This 3D printed module would allow for the quick realization of an external cavity diode laser that would have an adjustable cavity distance. We will report on the first tests of this system, by looking at Rb spectroscopy and mode-hop free tuning range as well as possibilities of using these lasers for MOT generation. We will also discuss our investigation into a 3D-printed optical chopper that utilizes an Arduino and a computer hard drive motor. By implementing an additional Arduino we create a low cost way to quickly measure laser beam waists

The three-dimensional (3D) photomechanical model of human tooth enamel ablation is described. It takes into account: the structural peculiarities of enamel, Er-laser beam energy spatial distribution and laser radiation attenuation in the tissue. Dynamics change of enamel coefficient of absorption during ablation is also discussed. We consider the 3D photomechanical model of incomplete removal (modification) of the enamel rods by the pressure of water contained in the enamel pores and heated by laser radiation, and complete removal (ablation) of the enamel rods as result of hydroxyapatite heated by laser radiation and evaporation. Modeling results are in close agreement with the experimental results.

The ability to pattern planar and freestanding 3D metallic architectures at the microscale would enable myriad applications, including flexible electronics, displays, sensors, and electrically small antennas. A 3D printing method is introduced that combines direct ink writing with a focused laser that locally anneals printed metallic features “on-the-fly.” To optimize the nozzle-to-laser separation distance, the heat transfer along the printed silver wire is modeled as a function of printing speed, laser intensity, and pulse duration. Laser-assisted direct ink writing is used to pattern highly conductive, ductile metallic interconnects, springs, and freestanding spiral architectures on flexible and rigid substrates.

The ability to pattern planar and freestanding 3D metallic architectures at the microscale would enable myriad applications, including flexible electronics, displays, sensors, and electrically small antennas. A 3D printing method is introduced that combines direct ink writing with a focused laser that locally anneals printed metallic features "on-the-fly." To optimize the nozzle-to-laser separation distance, the heat transfer along the printed silver wire is modeled as a function of printing speed, laser intensity, and pulse duration. Laser-assisted direct ink writing is used to pattern highly conductive, ductile metallic interconnects, springs, and freestanding spiral architectures on flexible and rigid substrates.

The ability to pattern planar and freestanding 3D metallic architectures at the microscale would enable myriad applications, including flexible electronics, displays, sensors, and electrically small antennas. A 3D printing method is introduced that combines direct ink writing with a focused laser that locally anneals printed metallic features “on-the-fly.” To optimize the nozzle-to-laser separation distance, the heat transfer along the printed silver wire is modeled as a function of printing speed, laser intensity, and pulse duration. Laser-assisted direct ink writing is used to pattern highly conductive, ductile metallic interconnects, springs, and freestanding spiral architectures on flexible and rigid substrates. PMID:27185932

3D printing of common metals is highly challenging because metals are generally solid at room conditions. Copper and gold pillars are manufactured with a resolution below 5 μm and a height up to 2 mm, using laser-induced forward transfer to create and eject liquid metal droplets. The solidified drop's shape is crucial for 3D printing and is discussed as a function of the laser energy.

Temporally varying light intensity during acquisition of projection images in an optical CT scanner can potentially be misinterpreted as physical properties of the sample. This work investigated the impact of LED light source intensity instability on measured attenuation coefficients. Different scenarios were investigated by conducting one or both of the reference and data scans in a 'cold' scanner, where the light source intensity had not yet stabilised. Uniform samples were scanned to assess the impact on measured uniformity. The orange (590 nm) light source decreased in intensity by 29 % over the first 2 h, while the red (633 nm) decreased by 9 %. The rates of change of intensity at 2 h were 0.1 and 0.03 % respectively over a 5 min period-corresponding to the scan duration. The normalisation function of the reconstruction software does not fully account for the intensity differences and discrepancies remain. Attenuation coefficient inaccuracies of up to 8 % were observed for data reconstructed from projection images acquired with a cold scanner. Increased noise was observed for most cases where one or both of the scans was acquired without sufficient warm-up. The decrease in accuracy and increase in noise were most apparent for data reconstructed from reference and data scans acquired with a cold scanner on different days.

Metamaterials designed for the visible or near IR wavelengths require patterning on the nanometer scale. To achieve this, e-beam lithography is used, but it is extremely difficult and can only produce 2D structures. A new alternative technique to produce 2D and 3D structures involves laser fabrication using the Nanoscribe 3Dlaser lithography system. This is a direct laser writing technique which can form arbitrary 3D nanostructures on the nanometer scale and is based on multi-photon polymerization. We are creating 2D and 3D metamaterials via this technique, and subsequently conformally coating them using Atomic Layer Deposition of oxides and Ag. We will discuss the optical properties of these novel composite structures and their potential for dual resonant metamaterials.

This study investigates the use of 3D printing for patients that require localised radiotherapy treatment to the face. The current process involves producing a lead mask in order to protect the healthy tissue from the effects of the radiotherapy. The mask is produced by applying a thermoplastic sheet to the patient's face and allowing to set hard. This can then be used as a mould to create a plaster impression of the patient's face. A sheet of lead is then hammered on to the plaster to create a bespoke fitted face mask. This process can be distressing for patients and can be problematic when the patient is required to remain motionless for a prolonged time while the thermoplastic sets. In this study, a 1:1 scale 3D print of a patient's face was generated using a laserscanner. The lead was hammered directly on to the surface of the 3D print in order to create a bespoke fitted treatment mask. This eliminated the thermoplastic moulding stage and significantly reduced the time needed for the patient to be in clinic. The higher definition impression of the the face resulted in a more accurate, better fitting treatment mask.

Up until now no appropriate models have been proposed that are capable to describe the stochastic characteristics of reflectorless rangefinders - the key component of terrestrial laserscanners. This state has to be rated as unsatisfactory especially from the perception of Geodesy where comprehensive knowledge about the precision of measurements is of vital importance, for instance to weigh individual observations or to reveal outliers. In order to tackle this problem, a novel intensity-based stochastic model for the reflectorless rangefinder of a Zoller + Fröhlich Imager 5006 h is experimentally derived. This model accommodates the influence of the interaction between the emitted signal and object surface as well as the acquisition configuration on distance measurements. Based on two different experiments the stochastic model has been successfully verified for three chosen sampling rates.

In recent years, with the rapid development of the hardware and software of the three-dimensional model acquisition, three-dimensional laser scanning technology is utilized in various aspects, especially in space exploration. The point cloud filter is very important before using the data. In the paper, considering both the processing quality and computing speed, an improved mean-shift point cloud filter method is proposed. Firstly, by analyze the relevance of the normal vector between the upcoming processing point and the near points, the iterative neighborhood of the mean-shift is selected dynamically, then the high frequency noise is constrained. Secondly, considering the normal vector of the processing point, the normal vector is updated. Finally, updated position is calculated for each point, then each point is moved in the normal vector according to the updated position. The experimental results show that the large features are retained, at the same time, the small sharp features are also existed for different size and shape of objects, so the target feature information is protected precisely. The computational complexity of the proposed method is not high, it can bring high precision results with fast speed, so it is very suitable for space application. It can also be utilized in civil, such as large object measurement, industrial measurement, car navigation etc. In the future, filter with the help of point strength will be further exploited.

Laserscanners are often used in geometric reverse engineering to generate a CAD drawing out of an existing physical part. This often requires careful path planning to ensure the correct stand-off distance of the sensor, to prevent any collisions of the sensor with the target object and to prevent any scan occlusions in the resulting data. A dedicated system was constructed to collect data using a 3-axis cylindrical/prismatic device. The benefit of this scanning system is the ability to scan completely around the target object, including the bottom of the object. A stripe-type laser diode is used along with a CCD camera. The target object sits on a transparent plexi-glass table, which can be rotated 360 degrees. Both the laser and the CCD are mounted on an arm, such that they can be traversed along a linear path, as well as being rotated 360° around the table. This permits the device to scan in either spherical or cylindrical paths with 360° rotation around the target object. This system allows for the quick scanning of any object while minimizing the number of occlusions in the resulting scan data.

Three-dimensional (3D) femtosecond laser direct structuring in transparent materials is widely used for photonic applications. However, the structure size is limited by the optical diffraction. Here we report on a direct laser writing technique that produces subwavelength nanostructures independently of the experimental limiting factors. We demonstrate 3D nanostructures of arbitrary patterns with feature sizes down to 80 nm, less than one tenth of the laser processing wavelength. Its ease of implementation for novel nanostructuring, with its accompanying high precision will open new opportunities for the fabrication of nanostructures for plasmonic and photonic devices and for applications in metamaterials.

The Coroglio cliff is a morphological evolution of the caldera rim of Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) in Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc) with an elevation of 150 m a.s.l. and a length of about 200 m. The lithology consists of NYT, extremely lithified, overlaid by less lithified recent products of the Phlegrean volcanism., These materials are highly erodible and, due to proximity to the sea, the sea wave and wind actions cause very strong erosion process. In the recent years Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS) technique is used for environmental monitoring purposes through the creation of high resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM). This method allows the reconstruction, by means of a dense cloud of points, of a 3D model for the entire investigated area. The scans need to be performed from different points of view in order to ensure a good coverage of the area, because a widespread problem is the occurrence of shaded areas. In our study we used a long-range laserscanner model RIEGL VZ1000®. Numerous surveys (April 2013, June 2014, February 2015) have been performed for monitoring coastal cliff morphological evolution. An additional survey was executed in March 2015, shortly after a landslide occurrence. To validate the multi-temporal monitoring of the laserscanner, a "quick" comparison of the acquired point clouds has been carried out using an algorithm cloud-to-cloud, in order to identify 3D changes. Then 2.5D raster images of the different scans has been performed in GIS environment, also in order to allow a map overlay of the produced thematic layer, both raster and vector data (geology, contour map, orthophoto, and so on). The comparison of multi-temporal data have evidenced interesting geomorphological processes on the cliff. It was observed a very intense (about 6 m) local moving back at the base of the cliff, mainly due to the sea wave action during storms, while in cliff sectors characterized by less compact lithologies widespread

The article studies the operating procedures of an X-ray microtomographic scanner and the module of reconstruction and analysis 3D-image of a test sample in particular. An algorithm for 3D-image reconstruction based on image shadow projections and mathematical methods of the processing are described. Chapter 1 describes the basic principles of X-ray tomography and general procedures of the device developed. Chapters 2 and 3 are devoted to the problem of resources saving by the system during the X-ray tomography procedure, which is achieved by preprocessing of the initial shadow projections. Preprocessing includes background noise removing from the images, which reduces the amount of shadow projections in general and increases the efficiency of the group shadow projections compression. Chapter 4 covers general procedures of defect search, which is based on vector analysis principles. In conclusion, the main applications of X-ray tomography are presented.

The article studies the operating procedures of an X-ray microtomographic scanner and the module of reconstruction and analysis 3D-image of a test sample in particular. An algorithm for 3D-image reconstruction based on image shadow projections and mathematical methods of the processing are described. Chapter 1 describes the basic principles of X-ray tomography and general procedures of the device developed. Chapters 2 and 3 are devoted to the problem of resources saving by the system during the X-ray tomography procedure, which is achieved by preprocessing of the initial shadow projections. Preprocessing includes background noise removing from the images, which reduces the amount of shadow projections in general and increases the efficiency of the group shadow projections compression. Chapter 4 covers general procedures of defect search, which is based on vector analysis principles. In conclusion, the main applications of X-ray tomography are presented.

Three dimensional pubic bone images were analyzed to quantify some age-dependent morphological changes of the symphyseal faces of contemporary Japanese residents. The images were synthesized from 145 bone specimens with 3D measuring device. Phases of Suchey-Brooks system were determined on the 3D pubic symphyseal images without discrepancy from those carried out on the real bones because of the high fidelity. Subsequently, mean curvatures of the pubic symphyseal faces to examine concavo-convex condition of the surfaces were analyzed on the 3D images. Average values of absolute mean curvatures of phase 1 and 2 groups were higher than those of phase 3-6 ones, whereas the values were approximately constant over phase 3 presumably reflecting the inactivation of pubic faces over phase 3. Ratio of the concave areas increased gradually with progressing phase or age classes, although convex areas were predominant in every phase.

3-D bioconstructions were created using the evaporation method of the water-albumin solution with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the continuous and pulsed femtosecond laser radiation. It is determined that the volume structure of the samples created by the femtosecond radiation has more cavities than the one created by the continuous radiation. The average diameter for multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) samples was almost two times higher (35-40 nm) than for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) samples (20-30 nm). The most homogenous 3-D bioconstruction was formed from MWCNTs by the continuous laser radiation. The hardness of such samples totaled up to 370 MPa at the nanoscale. High strength properties and the resistance of the 3-D bioconstructions produced by the laser irradiation depend on the volume nanotubes scaffold forming inside them. The scaffold was formed by the electric field of the directed laser irradiation. The covalent bond energy between the nanotube carbon molecule and the oxygen of the bovine serum albumin aminoacid residue amounts 580 kJ/mol. The 3-D bioconstructions based on MWCNTs and SWCNTs becomes overgrown with the cells (fibroblasts) over the course of 72 hours. The samples based on the both types of CNTs are not toxic for the cells and don't change its normal composition and structure. Thus the 3-D bioconstructions that are nanostructured by the pulsed and continuous laser radiation can be applied as implant materials for the recovery of the connecting tissues of the living body.

The objective of this work was to propose an automated and direct process to grade tooth wear intra-orally. Eight extracted teeth were etched with acid for different times to produce wear and scanned with an intra-oral optical scanner. Computer vision algorithms were used for alignment and comparison among models. Wear volume was estimated and visual scoring was achieved to determine reliability. Results demonstrated that it is possible to directly detect submillimeter differences in teeth surfaces with an automated method with results similar to those obtained by direct visual inspection. The investigated method proved to be reliable for comparison of measurements over time.

A confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) collects information from a thin, focal plane and ignores out-of-focus information. The operator configures separate channels (laser, filters, detector settings) for each fluorochrome used in a particular experiment. Then, 3-D reconstructions are made from Z-series of confocal images: one series per channel. Channel signal separation is extremely important and measures to avoid bleaching are vital. Post-acquisition deconvolution of the image series is then performed to increase resolution. In the 3-D reconstruction program described in this unit, reconstructions can be inspected in real time from any viewing angle. By altering viewing angles and by switching channels off and on, the spatial relationship of 3-D-reconstructed structures with respect to structures seen in other channels can be studied. Since each brand of CLSM, computer program, and 3-D reconstruction package has its own proprietary set of procedures, a general approach is provided wherever possible.

We previously designed a component based 3-D PSF model to obtain a compact yet accurate system matrix for a dedicated human brain PET scanner. In this work, we adapted the model to a small animal PET scanner. Based on the model, we derived the system matrix for back-to-back gamma source in air, fluorine-18 and iodine-124 source in water by Monte Carlo simulation. The characteristics of the PSF model were evaluated and the performance of the newly derived system matrix was assessed by comparing its reconstructed images with the established reconstruction program provided on the animal PET scanner. The new system matrix showed strong PSF dependency on the line-of-response (LOR) incident angle and LOR depth. This confirmed the validity of the two components selected for the model. The effect of positron range on the system matrix was observed by comparing the PSFs of different isotopes. A simulated and an experimental hot-rod phantom study showed that the reconstruction with the proposed system matrix achieved better resolution recovery as compared to the algorithm provided by the manufacturer. Quantitative evaluation also showed better convergence to the expected contrast value at similar noise level. In conclusion, it has been shown that the system matrix derivation method is applicable to the animal PET system studied, suggesting that the method may be used for other PET systems and different isotope applications.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have been recognized as a tool for geospatial data acquisition due to their flexibility and favourable cost benefit ratio. The practical use of laser scanning devices on-board UAVs is also developing with new experimental and commercial systems. This paper describes a light-weight laser scanning system composed of an IbeoLux scanner, an Inertial Navigation System Span-IGM-S1, from Novatel, a Raspberry PI portable computer, which records data from both systems and an octopter UAV. The performance of this light-weight system was assessed both for accuracy and with respect to point density, using Ground Control Points (GCP) as reference. Two flights were performed with the UAV octopter carrying the equipment. In the first trial, the flight height was 100 m with six strips over a parking area. The second trial was carried out over an urban park with some buildings and artificial targets serving as reference Ground Control Points. In this experiment a flight height of 70 m was chosen to improve target response. Accuracy was assessed based on control points the coordinates of which were measured in the field. Results showed that vertical accuracy with this prototype is around 30 cm, which is acceptable for forest applications but this accuracy can be improved using further refinements in direct georeferencing and in the system calibration.

3D copper logos printed on epoxy glass laminates are demonstrated. The structures are printed using laser transfer of molten metal microdroplets. The example in the image shows letters of 50 µm width, with each letter being taller than the last, from a height of 40 µm ('s') to 190 µm ('l'). The scanning microscopy image is taken at a tilt, and the topographic image was taken using interferometric 3D microscopy, to show the effective control of this technique.

A novel method for fabrication of 2D and 3D metal nanoparticle structures and arrays is proposed. This technique is based on laser-induced transfer of molten metal nanodroplets from thin metal films. Metal nanoparticles are produced by solidification of these nanodroplets. The size of the transferred nanoparticles can be controllably changed in the range from 180 nm to 1500 nm. Several examples of complex 2D and 3D microstructures generated form gold nanoparticles are demonstrated.

Objectives This study investigates the effect of scanning parameters on the accuracy of measurements from three-dimensional multi-detector computed tomography (3D-CT) mandible renderings. A broader range of acceptable parameters can increase the availability of CT studies for retrospective analysis. Study Design Three human mandibles and a phantom object were scanned using 18 combinations of slice thickness, field of view, and reconstruction algorithm and three different threshold-based segmentations. Measurements of 3D-CT models and specimens were compared. Results Linear and angular measurements were accurate, irrespective of scanner parameters or rendering technique. Volume measurements were accurate with a slice thickness of 1.25 mm, but not 2.5 mm. Surface area measurements were consistently inflated. Conclusions Linear, angular and volumetric measurements of mandible 3D-CT models can be confidently obtained from a range of parameters and rendering techniques. Slice thickness is the primary factor affecting volume measurements. These findings should also apply to 3D rendering using cone-beam-CT. PMID:23601224

This paper describes the use of terrestrial laser scanning for the full three-dimensional (3D) recording of historical monument, known as the Bastion Middleburg. The monument is located in Melaka, Malaysia, and was built by the Dutch in 1660. This monument serves as a major hub for the community when conducting commercial activities in estuaries Malacca and the Dutch build this monument as a control tower or fortress. The monument is located on the banks of the Malacca River was built between Stadhuys or better known as the Red House and Mill Quayside. The breakthrough fort on 25 November 2006 was a result of the National Heritage Department through in-depth research on the old map. The recording process begins with the placement of measuring targets at strategic locations around the monument. Spherical target was used in the point cloud data registration. The scanning process is carried out using a laser scanning system known as a terrestrial scanner Leica C10. This monument was scanned at seven scanning stations located surrounding the monument with medium scanning resolution mode. Images of the monument have also been captured using a digital camera that is setup in the scanner. For the purposes of proper registration process, the entire spherical target was scanned separately using a high scanning resolution mode. The point cloud data was pre-processed using Leica Cyclone software. The pre-processing process starting with the registration of seven scan data set through overlapping spherical targets. The post-process involved in the generation of coloured point cloud model of the monument using third-party software. The orthophoto of the monument was also produced. This research shows that the method of laser scanning provides an excellent solution for recording historical monuments with true scale of and texture.

Recent progresses in femtosecond laser (fs) manufacturing have already proved that fs laser is a powerful tool in three dimensional internal structure fabrications. However, most studies are mainly focused on realize such structures in inorganic transparent dielectric, such as photosensitive glass and fused silica, etc. In this study, we present two methods to fabricate embedded internal 3D structures in a polymer dielectric material polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Both continuous hollow structure such as microfluidic channels and discrete hollow structures such as single microcavities are successfully fabricated with the help of femtosecond lasers. Among them, complicated 3D microchannel with a total length longer than 10mm and diameters around 80μm to 200μm are fabricated with a low repetition rate Ti: sapphire femtosecond laser by direct laser writing at a speed ranging from 25μm/s to 2000μm/s microcavities which function as concave microball lenses (CMBLs) and can be applied in super-wide-angle imaging are fabricated with a high repetition rate femtosecond fiber laser due to the distinct heat accumulation effect after 5s irradiation with the tightly focused fs laser beam. These new approaches proved that femtosecond laser direct writing technology has great application potential in 3D integrated devices manufacturing in the future.

In the process of laser transmission in the atmosphere, the complexity and instability of the atmospheric composition that seriously interfere with, even change, the performance of the laser beam. The image of laser energy distribution can be captured and analyzed through infrared CCD and digital image processing technology. The basic features of laser energy density distribution, such as the location and power of the peak point and other basic parameters could be acquired; laser energy density distribution can display in real time continuous multi-frame; the 3D visualization of pseudo-color for laser energy density distribution could be displayed, that reflect the relative size and position of the energy distribution in the different regions of the laser spot, using the VC++, windows APIs and OpenGL programming. The laser energy density distribution can be observed from all angles.

In this study, a laser line auto-scanning system was designed to perform underwater close-range 3D reconstructions with high accuracy and resolution. The system changes the laser plane direction with a galvanometer to perform automatic scanning and obtain continuous laser strips for underwater 3D reconstruction. The system parameters were calibrated with the homography constraints between the target plane and image plane. A cost function was defined to optimize the galvanometer's rotating axis equation. Compensation was carried out for the refraction of the incident and emitted light at the interface. The accuracy and the spatial measurement capability of the system were tested and analyzed with standard balls under laboratory underwater conditions, and the 3D surface reconstruction for a sealing cover of an underwater instrument was proved to be satisfactory.

This paper reports a flexible fabrication method for 3D solenoid microcoils in silica glass. The method consists of femtosecond laser wet etching (FLWE) and microsolidics process. The 3D microchannel with high aspect ratio is fabricated by an improved FLWE method. In the microsolidics process, an alloy was chosen as the conductive metal. The microwires are achieved by injecting liquid alloy into the microchannel, and allowing the alloy to cool and solidify. The alloy microwires with high melting point can overcome the limitation of working temperature and improve the electrical property. The geometry, the height and diameter of microcoils were flexibly fabricated by the pre-designed laser writing path, the laser power and etching time. The 3D microcoils can provide uniform magnetic field and be widely integrated in many magnetic microsystems.

In this study, a laser line auto-scanning system was designed to perform underwater close-range 3D reconstructions with high accuracy and resolution. The system changes the laser plane direction with a galvanometer to perform automatic scanning and obtain continuous laser strips for underwater 3D reconstruction. The system parameters were calibrated with the homography constraints between the target plane and image plane. A cost function was defined to optimize the galvanometer’s rotating axis equation. Compensation was carried out for the refraction of the incident and emitted light at the interface. The accuracy and the spatial measurement capability of the system were tested and analyzed with standard balls under laboratory underwater conditions, and the 3D surface reconstruction for a sealing cover of an underwater instrument was proved to be satisfactory. PMID:27657074

In this paper we demonstrate possibilities of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology based on two photon polymerization. We used three-dimensional dip-in direct-laser-writing (DLW) optical lithography to fabricate 2D and 3D optical structures for optoelectronics and for optical sensing applications. DLW lithography allows us use a non conventional way how to couple light into the waveguide structure. We prepared ring resonator and we investigated its transmission spectral characteristic. We present 3D inverse opal structure from its design to printing and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. Finally, SEM images of some prepared photonic crystal structures were performed.

The aim of the study was to compare accuracy of digital impression's finishing line and the zone under it taken by different intraoral scanning systems. Parameters of comparison were: different level of the finishing line to the gingiva and width of sulcus after retraction. For this purpose two synthetic jaw models with prepared teeth were scanned using intraoral scanning systems: 3D Progress (MHT S.P.A., IT - MHT Optic Research AG, CH); True Definition (3M ESPE, USA); Trios (3Shape A/S, DNK); CEREC AC Bluecam, CEREC Omnicam (Sirona Dental System GmbH, DE); Planscan (Planmeca, FIN) (each n=10). Reference-scanning was done by ATOS Core (GOM mbH, DE). The resulting digital impressions were superimposed with the master-scan. The lowest measured deviations (trueness) for intraoral scanners, where the finishing line was 0.5 mm above gingiva were with scanner True Definition - 18.8±6.63 (on the finishing line) and 51.0±14.33 µm (0.3 mm under the finishing line). In conditions where finishing line was on the same level with gingiva, scanner Trios showed the best results: 17.0±3.96 and 52.7±6.52 µm. When the finishing line was 0.5 mm under gingiva, none of the testing scanners could visualize the zone 0.3 mm lower the finishing line. The best results for accuracy o the finishing line in that circumstances showed Trios: 15.1±5.05 µm. The optimum visualization of the finishing line and the zone under it was reached when the sulcus was 0.3 mm after retraction. Thus, the best accuracy was obtained with Trios: 10.3±2.69 (on the finishing line) and 57.2±13.58 µm (0.3 mm under finishing line). The results show that intraoral scanners also provide enough accuracy for indicating finishing line and the zone under it in different conditions of preparation and gingiva retraction. However, not all of the testing scanners can properly indicate finishing line and the zone under it when shoulder is below gingiva and the width of sulcus is less than 0.2 mm.

3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing whereby the building up of layers of material creates objects. The selective laser sintering process (SLS) uses a laser beam to sinter powdered material to create objects. This paper builds upon previous research into 3D printed textile based material exploring the use of SLS using nylon powder to create flexible weft knitted structures. The results show the potential to print flexible textile based structures that exhibit the properties of traditional knitted textile structures along with the mechanical properties of the material used, whilst describing the challenges regarding fineness of printing resolution. The conclusion highlights the potential future development and application of such pieces.

A high-resolution laser radar has been developed for laboratory applications at an accurate 3D reconstruction of real objects. The laserscanner can be used to produce single cylindrical range image when the object is placed on a controlled rotating platform or, alternatively, 3 or more linear range images, in order to fully characterize the surface of the object as seen from different points of view. From the sample points, characterized by an uncertainty as small as 100 μm, the complete object surface can be reconstructed by using specifically developed software tools. The system has been successfully applied to scan different types of real surfaces (stone, wood, bones) with relevant applications in industrial machining, artwork classification and medical diagnostics. Significant examples of 3D reconstructions are shown and discussed in view of a specific utilization for reverse engineering applied to artwork restoration and medical prosthesis.

We present TempDAC, a 3-D numerical model for calculating the steady-state temperature distribution for continuous wave laser-heated experiments in the diamond anvil cell. TempDAC solves the steady heat conduction equation in three dimensions over the sample chamber, gasket, and diamond anvils and includes material-, temperature-, and direction-dependent thermal conductivity, while allowing for flexible sample geometries, laser beam intensity profile, and laser absorption properties. The model has been validated against an axisymmetric analytic solution for the temperature distribution within a laser-heated sample. Example calculations illustrate the importance of considering heat flow in three dimensions for the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. In particular, we show that a “flat top” input laser beam profile does not lead to a more uniform temperature distribution or flatter temperature gradients than a wide Gaussian laser beam.

Laser processing is one of the most popular small-scale patterning methods and has many applications in semiconductor device fabrication and biomedical engineering. Numerical modelling of this process can be used for better understanding of the process, optimization, and predicting the quality of the final product. An accurate 3D model is presented here for short laser pulses that can predict the ablation depth and temperature distribution on any section of the material in a minimal amount of time. In this transient model, variations of thermal properties, plasma shielding, and phase change are considered. Ablation depth was measured using a 3D optical profiler. Calculated depths are in good agreement with measured values on laser treated titanium surfaces. The proposed model can be applied to a wide range of materials and laser systems.

The goal of this LDRD project has been to create LATIS3D--the world's premier computer program for laser-tissue interaction modeling. The development was based on recent experience with the 2D LATIS code and the ASCI code, KULL. With LATIS3D, important applications in laser medical therapy were researched including dynamical calculations of tissue emulsification and ablation, photothermal therapy, and photon transport for photodynamic therapy. This project also enhanced LLNL's core competency in laser-matter interactions and high-energy-density physics by pushing simulation codes into new parameter regimes and by attracting external expertise. This will benefit both existing LLNL programs such as ICF and SBSS and emerging programs in medical technology and other laser applications.

COMPET is a preclinical PET scanner aiming towards a high sensitivity, a high resolution and MRI compatibility by implementing a novel detector geometry. In this approach, long scintillating LYSO crystals are used to absorb the γ-rays. To determine the point of interaction (POI) between γ-ray and crystal, the light exiting the crystals on one of the long sides is collected with wavelength shifters (WLS) perpendicularly arranged to the crystals. This concept has two main advantages: (1) The parallax error is reduced to a minimum and is equal for the whole field of view (FOV). (2) The POI and its energy deposit is known in all three dimension with a high resolution, allowing for the reconstruction of Compton scattered γ-rays. Point (1) leads to a uniform point source resolution (PSR) distribution over the whole FOV, and also allows to place the detector close to the object being imaged. Both points (1) and (2) lead to an increased sensitivity and allow for both high resolution and sensitivity at the same time, while keeping a low number of readout channels. In total, COMPET incorporates 1080 readout channels (600 crystals, 480 WLS). It has an axial FOV of 80 mm and adjustable bore opening between 30 mm and 80 mm. It consists of four modules with five layers each. Simulations show a PSR of below 1 mm in the transaxial plane and a sensitivity of up to 16% in the center of the FOV. The readout is based on time over threshold signals, sampled with an FPGA, which allows for the measurement of high event rates at the order of mega-counts per seconds. Its compact design and compatibility to high magnetic fields will allow to use it as an insert for an already existing MRI scanner. A first semi-layer with 12 WLS and 10 LYSO crystal was built and connected to the COMPET readout system. Coincidence data between this module and a tagger crystal using a small Ge-68 and a 60 MBq F-18 source was taken.

A novel approach for efficient manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) microstructured scaffolds designed for cell studies and tissue engineering applications is presented. A thermal extrusion (fused filament fabrication) 3D printer is employed as a simple and low-cost tabletop device enabling rapid materialization of CAD models out of biocompatible and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA). Here it was used to produce cm- scale microporous (pore size varying from 100 to 400 µm) scaffolds. The fabricated objects were further laser processed in a direct laser writing (DLW) subtractive (ablation) and additive (lithography) manners. The first approach enables precise surface modification by creating micro-craters, holes and grooves thus increasing the surface roughness. An alternative way is to immerse the 3D PLA scaffold in a monomer solution and use the same DLW setup to refine its inner structure by fabricating dots, lines or a fine mesh on top as well as inside the pores of previously produced scaffolds. The DLW technique is empowered by ultrafast lasers - it allows 3D structuring with high spatial resolution in a great variety of photosensitive materials. Structure geometry on macro- to micro- scales could be finely tuned by combining these two fabrication techniques. Such artificial 3D substrates could be used for cell growth or as biocompatible-biodegradable implants. This combination of distinct material processing techniques enables rapid fabrication of diverse functional micro- featured and integrated devices. Hopefully, the proposed approach will find numerous applications in the field of ms, microfluidics, microoptics and many others.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of an individualized thoracic pedicle screw placement guide plate produced by 3-Dlaser printing. Material/Methods Thoracic pedicle samples of 3 adult cadavers were randomly assigned for 3-D CT scans. The 3-D thoracic models were established by using medical Mimics software, and a screw path was designed with scanned data. Then the individualized thoracic pedicle screw placement guide plate models, matched to the backside of thoracic vertebral plates, were produced with a 3-Dlaser printer. Screws were placed with assistance of a guide plate. Then, the placement was assessed. Results With the data provided by CT scans, 27 individualized guide plates were produced by 3-D printing. There was no significant difference in sex and relevant parameters of left and right sides among individuals (P>0.05). Screws were placed with assistance of guide plates, and all screws were in the correct positions without penetration of pedicles, under direct observation and anatomic evaluation post-operatively. Conclusions A thoracic pedicle screw placement guide plate can be produced by 3-D printing. With a high accuracy in placement and convenient operation, it provides a new method for accurate placement of thoracic pedicle screws. PMID:27194139

This paper will examine how Avalanche Photodiodes (APD) and Infrared Pulsed lasers (PL) are used and optimized to provide the "intelligence" to smart weapons. The basics of APD's and PL will be covered and the principle "time of flight ranging" which is the underlining principle of 3Dlaser radar will be illustrated. The time of flight principle is used for range finding, lidar, 3Dlaser radar and speed measurements - this information can then be used to provide intelligence to the smart weapon. Examples of such systems are discussed and illustrated, for example: Cluster bombs, Proximity fuses, and how laser range finding systems can be incorporated with GPS to produce effective and lethal weapons. The APD's that are discussed include silicon APD's for cost effective weapons, and 1550nm APDs for eye-safe systems. An overview of the different PL's will be outlined, but the focus will be on 905nm laser pulsars for cost effective laser weapons.

It is proposed an integrated approach to the study of basilar artery blood flow using 3Dlaser Doppler anemometer for identifying the causes of the formation and development of cerebral aneurysms. Feature of the work is the combined usage of both mathematical modeling and experimental methods. Described the experimental setup and the method of measurement of basilar artery blood flow, carried out in an interdisciplinary laboratory of Hospital Rechts der Isar of Technical University of Munich. The experimental setup used to simulate the blood flow in the basilar artery and to measure blood flow characteristics using 3Dlaser Doppler anemometer (3D LDA). Described a method of numerical studies carried out in Tambov State Technical University and the Bakoulev Center for Cardiovascular Surgery. Proposed an approach for sharing experimental and numerical methods of research to identify the causes of the basilar artery aneurysms.

The broader use of laser micro-processing technology increases the demand for executing complex machining and joining operations on free-from (3D) workpieces. To satisfy these growing requirements it is necessary to utilise 3D scanheads that integrate beam deflectors (X and Y optical axes) and Z modules with high dynamics. The research presented in this communication proposes an experimental technique to quantify the dynamic capabilities of Z modules, also called Dynamic Focusing Modules (DFM), of such 3D scanheads that are essential for efficient, accurate and repeatable laser micro-processing of free form surfaces. The proposed experimental technique is validated on state-of-art laser micro-machining platform and the results show that the DFM dynamic capabilities are substantially inferior than those of X and Y beam deflectors, in particular the maximum speed of the Z module is less than 10% of the maximum speeds achievable with X and Y optical axes of the scanhead. Thus, the DFM dynamics deficiencies can become a major obstacle for the broader use of high frequency laser sources that necessitate high dynamics 3D scanheads for executing cost effectively free-form surface processing operations.

This paper presents a sensor fusion system of cameras and a 2D laser sensor for large-scale 3D reconstruction. The proposed system is designed to capture data on a fast-moving ground vehicle. The system consists of six cameras and one 2D laser sensor, and they are synchronized by a hardware trigger. Reconstruction of 3D structures is done by estimating frame-by-frame motion and accumulating vertical laser scans, as in previous works. However, our approach does not assume near 2D motion, but estimates free motion (including absolute scale) in 3D space using both laser data and image features. In order to avoid the degeneration associated with typical three-point algorithms, we present a new algorithm that selects 3D points from two frames captured by multiple cameras. The problem of error accumulation is solved by loop closing, not by GPS. The experimental results show that the estimated path is successfully overlaid on the satellite images, such that the reconstruction result is very accurate. PMID:25375758

This paper presents a sensor fusion system of cameras and a 2D laser sensorfor large-scale 3D reconstruction. The proposed system is designed to capture data on afast-moving ground vehicle. The system consists of six cameras and one 2D laser sensor,and they are synchronized by a hardware trigger. Reconstruction of 3D structures is doneby estimating frame-by-frame motion and accumulating vertical laser scans, as in previousworks. However, our approach does not assume near 2D motion, but estimates free motion(including absolute scale) in 3D space using both laser data and image features. In orderto avoid the degeneration associated with typical three-point algorithms, we present a newalgorithm that selects 3D points from two frames captured by multiple cameras. The problemof error accumulation is solved by loop closing, not by GPS. The experimental resultsshow that the estimated path is successfully overlaid on the satellite images, such that thereconstruction result is very accurate.

A fluorescent scanner is designed for scanning the fluorescence from a fluorescence labeled separated sample on a sample carrier. The scanner includes a confocal microscope for illuminating a predetermined volume of the sample carrier and/or receiving and processing fluorescence emissions from the volume to provide a display of the separated sample. 8 figs.

It has been shown that I-124 PET imaging can be used for accurate dose estimation in radio-immunotherapy techniques. However, I-124 is not a pure positron emitter, leading to two types of coincidence events not typically encountered: increased random coincidences due to non-annihilation cascade photons, and true coincidences between an annihilation photon and primarily a coincident 602 keV cascade gamma (true coincidence gamma-ray background). The increased random coincidences are accurately estimated by the delayed window technique. Here we evaluate the radial and time distributions of the true coincidence gamma-ray background in order to correct and accurately estimate lesion uptake for I-124 imaging in a time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanner. We performed measurements using a line source of activity placed in air and a water-filled cylinder, using F-18 and I-124 radio-isotopes. Our results show that the true coincidence gamma-ray backgrounds in I-124 have a uniform radial distribution, while the time distribution is similar to the scattered annihilation coincidences. As a result, we implemented a TOF-extended single scatter simulation algorithm with a uniform radial offset in the tail-fitting procedure for accurate correction of TOF data in I-124 imaging. Imaging results show that the contrast recovery for large spheres in a uniform activity background is similar in F-18 and I-124 imaging. There is some degradation in contrast recovery for small spheres in I-124, which is explained by the increased positron range, and reduced spatial resolution, of I-124 compared to F-18. Our results show that it is possible to perform accurate TOF based corrections for I-124 imaging.

Real-time tracking of multiple targets and three dimensional object features was demonstrated using a laser range scanner. The prototype was immune to ambient illumination and sun interference. Tracking error feedback was simultaneously obtained from individual targets, global predicted target position, and the human operator. A more complete study of calibration parameters and temperature variations on the scanner is needed to determine the exact performance of the sensor. Lissajous patterns used in three-dimensional real-time tracking prove helpful given their high resolution. The photogrammetry-based Advanced Space Vision System (ASVS) is discussed in combination with the laser range scanner.

Terrestrial Laser Scanning is a popular and widely used technique to scan existing objects, document historical sites and items, and remodel them if and when needed. Their ability to collect thousands of point data per second makes them an invaluable tool in many areas from engineering to historical reconstruction. There are many scanners in the market with different technical specifications. One main technical specification of laserscanners is range and illumination. In this study, it is tested to be determined the optimal working times of a laserscanner and the scanners consistency with its specifications sheet. In order to conduct this work, series of GNSS measurements in Istanbul Technical University have been carried out, connected to the national reference network, to determine precise positions of target points and the scanner, which makes possible to define a precise distance between the scanner and targets. Those ground surveys has been used for calibration and registration purposes. Two different scan campaigns conducted at 12 am and 11 pm to compare working efficiency of laserscanner in different illumination conditions and targets are measured with a handheld spectro-radiometer in order to determine their reflective characteristics. The obtained results are compared and their accuracies have been analysed.

Three dimensional waveguides within the bulk of diamond are manufactured using ultrafast laser fabrication. High intensities within the focal volume of the laser cause breakdown of the diamond into a graphitic phase leading to a stress induced refractive index change in neighboring regions. Type II waveguiding is thus enabled between two adjacent graphitic tracks, but supporting just a single polarization state. We show that adaptive aberration correction during the laser processing allows the controlled fabrication of more complex structures beneath the surface of the diamond which can be used for 3D waveguide splitters and Type III waveguides which support both polarizations.

We describe a system for rapid and convenient video data acquisition and 3-D numerical coordinate data calculation able to provide precise 3-D topographical maps and 3-D archival data sufficient to reconstruct a 3-D virtual reality display of a crime scene or mass disaster area. Under a joint U.S. army/U.S. Air Force project with collateral U.S. Navy support, to create a 3-D surgical robotic inspection device -- a mobile, multi-sensor robotic surgical assistant to aid the surgeon in diagnosis, continual surveillance of patient condition, and robotic surgical telemedicine of combat casualties -- the technology is being perfected for remote, non-destructive, quantitative 3-D mapping of objects of varied sizes. This technology is being advanced with hyper-speed parallel video technology and compact, very fast laser electro-optics, such that the acquisition of 3-D surface map data will shortly be acquired within the time frame of conventional 2-D video. With simple field-capable calibration, and mobile or portable platforms, the crime scene investigator could set up and survey the entire crime scene, or portions of it at high resolution, with almost the simplicity and speed of video or still photography. The survey apparatus would record relative position, location, and instantly archive thousands of artifacts at the site with 3-D data points capable of creating unbiased virtual reality reconstructions, or actual physical replicas, for the investigators, prosecutors, and jury.

The creation of complex three-dimensional (3D) fluidic systems composed of hollow micro- and nanostructures embedded in transparent substrates has attracted significant attention from both scientific and applied research communities. However, it is by now still a formidable challenge to build 3D micro- and nanofluidic structures with arbitrary configurations using conventional planar lithographic fabrication methods. As a direct and maskless fabrication technique, femtosecond laser micromachining provides a straightforward approach for high-precision spatial-selective modification inside transparent materials through nonlinear optical absorption. Here, we demonstrate rapid fabrication of high-aspect-ratio micro- and/or nanofluidic structures with various 3D configurations in glass substrates by femtosecond laser direct writing. Based on this approach, we demonstrate several functional micro- and nanofluidic devices including a 3D passive microfluidic mixer, a capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis chip, and an integrated micro-nanofluidic system for single DNA analysis. This technology offers new opportunities to develop novel 3D micro-nanofluidic systems for a variety of lab-on-a-chip applications.

A confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) collects information from a thin, focal plane and ignores out-of-focus information. Scanning of a specimen, with stepwise axial (Z-) movement of the stage in between each scan, produces Z-series of confocal images of a tissue volume, which then can be used to 3-D reconstruct structures of interest. The operator first configures separate channels (e.g., laser, filters, and detector settings) for each applied fluorochrome and then acquires Z-series of confocal images: one series per channel. Channel signal separation is extremely important. Measures to avoid bleaching are vital. Post-acquisition deconvolution of the image series is often performed to increase resolution before 3-D reconstruction takes place. In the 3-D reconstruction programs described in this unit, reconstructions can be inspected in real time from any viewing angle. By altering viewing angles and by switching channels off and on, the spatial relationships of 3-D-reconstructed structures with respect to structures visualized in other channels can be studied. Since each brand of CLSM, computer program, and 3-D reconstruction package has its own proprietary set of procedures, a general approach is provided in this protocol wherever possible.

According to the European Commission around 200,000 counterfeit Euro coins are removed from circulation every year. While approaches exist to automatically detect these coins, satisfying error rates are usually only reached for low quality forgeries, so-called "local classes". High-quality minted forgeries ("common classes") pose a problem for these methods as well as for trained humans. This paper presents a first approach for statistical analysis of coins based on high resolution 3D data acquired with a chromatic white light sensor. The goal of this analysis is to determine whether two coins are of common origin. The test set for these first and new investigations consists of 62 coins from not more than five different sources. The analysis is based on the assumption that, apart from markings caused by wear such as scratches and residue consisting of grease and dust, coins from equal origin have a more similar height field than coins from different mints. First results suggest that the selected approach is heavily affected by influences of wear like dents and scratches and the further research is required the eliminate this influence. A course for future work is outlined.

Seventeen patients, 14 males and 3 females, mean age 64 years (range 45-77 years) with longstanding unilateral occlusion of the internal carotid artery and minimal neurological deficit, were evaluated in order to find criteria for potential benefit of extracranial-intracranial by-pass surgery. 3-D transcranial Doppler was used for estimation of mean velocities and pulsatility index in the middle cerebral artery, anterior cerebral artery and posterior cerebral artery before and after iv injection of 1 g acetazolamide. The anterior cerebral artery was the supplying vessel to the occluded side in 16 patients and mean velocities were significantly (p < 0.001) faster on the occluded (59.3 +/- 14.5 cm sec-1) and nonoccluded (91.6 +/- 29.6 cm sec-1, p < 0.05)) side than those found in the middle cerebral artery (39.2 +/- 13.7 and 50.9 +/- 8.5 cm sec-1). In two patients a decrease of mean velocity after acetazolamide was noted in middle cerebral artery indicating 'steal' effect. In another 4 patients, poor vasomotor response was seen with less than 11% of mean velocity increase in the middle cerebral artery. Differences between posterior cerebral artery on the occluded and nonoccluded side were insignificant as well as those between middle and posterior on the occluded side. Resting values of pulsatility index differed significantly (p < 0.01) only between anterior and posterior cerebral artery on the nonoccluded side.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Due to the unique ultra-short pulse duration and high peak power, femtosecond (fs) laser has emerged as a powerful tool for many applications but has rarely been studied for 3D printing. In this paper, welding of both bulk and powder materials is demonstrated for the first time by using high energy and high repetition rate fs fiber lasers. It opens up new scenarios and opportunities for 3D printing with the following advantages - greater range of materials especially with high melting temperature, greater-than-ever level of precision (sub-micron) and less heat-affected-zone (HAZ). Mechanical properties (strength and hardness) and micro-structures (grain size) of the fabricated parts are investigated. For dissimilar materials bulk welding, good welding quality with over 210 MPa tensile strength is obtained. Also full melting of the micron-sized refractory powders with high melting temperature (above 3000 degree C) is achieved for the first time. 3D parts with shapes like ring and cube are fabricated. Not only does this study explore the feasibility of melting dissimilar and high melting temperature materials using fs lasers, but it also lays out a solid foundation for 3D printing of complex structure with designed compositions, microstructures and properties. This can greatly benefit the applications in automobile, aerospace and biomedical industries, by producing parts like nozzles, engines and miniaturized biomedical devices.

The growing interest and use of indoor mapping is driving a demand for improved data-acquisition facility, efficiency and productivity in the era of the Building Information Model (BIM). The conventional static laser scanning method suffers from some limitations on its operability in complex indoor environments, due to the presence of occlusions. Full scanning of indoor spaces without loss of information requires that surveyors change the scanner position many times, which incurs extra work for registration of each scanned point cloud. Alternatively, a kinematic 3Dlaser scanning system, proposed herein, uses line-feature-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technique for continuous mapping. Moreover, to reduce the uncertainty of line-feature extraction, we incorporated constrained adjustment based on an assumption made with respect to typical indoor environments: that the main structures are formed of parallel or orthogonal line features. The superiority of the proposed constrained adjustment is its reduction for uncertainties of the adjusted lines, leading to successful data association process. In the present study, kinematic scanning with and without constrained adjustment were comparatively evaluated in two test sites, and the results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed system. The accuracy of the 3D mapping result was additionally evaluated by comparison with the reference points acquired by a total station: the Euclidean average distance error was 0.034 m for the seminar room and 0.043 m for the corridor, which satisfied the error tolerance for point cloud acquisition (0.051 m) according to the guidelines of the General Services Administration for BIM accuracy.

The growing interest and use of indoor mapping is driving a demand for improved data-acquisition facility, efficiency and productivity in the era of the Building Information Model (BIM). The conventional static laser scanning method suffers from some limitations on its operability in complex indoor environments, due to the presence of occlusions. Full scanning of indoor spaces without loss of information requires that surveyors change the scanner position many times, which incurs extra work for registration of each scanned point cloud. Alternatively, a kinematic 3Dlaser scanning system, proposed herein, uses line-feature-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technique for continuous mapping. Moreover, to reduce the uncertainty of line-feature extraction, we incorporated constrained adjustment based on an assumption made with respect to typical indoor environments: that the main structures are formed of parallel or orthogonal line features. The superiority of the proposed constrained adjustment is its reduction for uncertainties of the adjusted lines, leading to successful data association process. In the present study, kinematic scanning with and without constrained adjustment were comparatively evaluated in two test sites, and the results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed system. The accuracy of the 3D mapping result was additionally evaluated by comparison with the reference points acquired by a total station: the Euclidean average distance error was 0.034 m for the seminar room and 0.043 m for the corridor, which satisfied the error tolerance for point cloud acquisition (0.051 m) according to the guidelines of the General Services Administration for BIM accuracy. PMID:26501292

SwissFEL is a x-rays free electron laser (FEL) driven by a 5.8 GeV linac under construction at Paul Scherrer Institut. In SwissFEL, wire scanners (WSCs) will be complementary to view-screens for emittance measurements and routinely used to monitor the transverse profile of the electron beam during FEL operations. The SwissFEL WSC is composed of an in-vacuum beam-probe—motorized by a stepper motor—and an out-vacuum pick-up of the wire signal. The mechanical stability of the WSC in-vacuum hardware has been characterized on a test bench. In particular, the motor induced vibrations of the wire have been measured and mapped for different motor speeds. Electron-beam tests of the entire WSC setup together with different wire materials have been carried out at the 250 MeV SwissFEL Injector Test Facility (SITF, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH) and at FERMI (Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy). In particular, a comparative study of the relative measurement accuracy and the radiation-dose release of Al (99 )∶Si (1 ) and tungsten (W) wires has been carried out. On the basis of the outcome of the bench and electron-beam tests, the SwissFEL WSC can be qualified as a high resolution and machine-saving diagnostic tool in consideration of the mechanical stability of the scanning wire at the micrometer level and the choice of the wire material ensuring a drastic reduction of the radiation-dose release with respect to conventional metallic wires. The main aspects of the design, laboratory characterization and electron beam tests of the SwissFEL WSCs are presented.

Purpose: MR based 3D gel has been proposed for radiation therapy dosimetry. However, access to MR scanner has been one of the limiting factors for its wide acceptance. Recent commercialization of an on-board MR-IGRT device (ViewRay) may render the availability issue less of a concern. This work reports our attempts to simulate MR based dose measurement accuracy on ViewRay using three different gels. Methods: A spherical BANG gel dosimeter was purchased from MGS Research. Cylindrical MAGIC gel and Fricke gel were fabricated in-house according to published recipes. After irradiation, BANG and MAGIC were imaged using a dual-echo spin echo sequence for T2 measurement on a Philips 1.5T MR scanner, while Fricke gel was imaged using multiple spin echo sequences. Difference between MR measured and TPS calculated dose was defined as noise. The noise power spectrum was calculated and then simulated for the 0.35 T magnetic field associated with ViewRay. The estimated noise was then added to TG-119 test cases to simulate measured dose distributions. Simulated measurements were evaluated against TPS calculated doses using gamma analysis. Results: Given same gel, sequence and coil setup, with a FOV of 180×90×90 mm3, resolution of 3×3×3 mm3, and scanning time of 30 minutes, the simulated measured dose distribution using BANG would have a gamma passing rate greater than 90% (3%/3mm and absolute). With a FOV 180×90×90 mm3, resolution of 4×4×5 mm3, and scanning time of 45 minutes, the simulated measuremened dose distribution would have a gamma passing rate greater than 97%. MAGIC exhibited similar performance while Fricke gel was inferior due to much higher noise. Conclusions: The simulation results demonstrated that it may be feasible to use MAGIC and BANG gels for 3D dose verification using ViewRay low-field on-board MRI scanner.

The blast furnace from the Northern Song Dynasty at Kuangshan Village is the tallest blast furnace that remains from ancient China. Previous studies have assumed that the furnace had a closed mouth. In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) model of the blast furnace is constructed using 3Dlaser scanning technology, and accurate profile data are obtained using software. It is shown that the furnace throat is smaller than had been previously thought and that the furnace mouth is of the open type. This new furnace profile constitutes a discovery in the history of iron-smelting technology.

Image guided surgery (IGS) has led to significant advances in surgical procedures and outcomes. Endoscopic IGS is hindered, however, by the lack of suitable intraoperative scanning technology for registration with preoperative tomographic image data. This paper describes implementation of an endoscopic laser range scanner (eLRS) system for accurate, intraoperative mapping of the kidney surface, registration of the measured kidney surface with preoperative tomographic images, and interactive image-based surgical guidance for subsurface lesion targeting. The eLRS comprises a standard stereo endoscope coupled to a steerable laser, which scans a laser fan beam across the kidney surface, and a high-speed color camera, which records the laser-illuminated pixel locations on the kidney. Through calibrated triangulation, a dense set of 3-D surface coordinates are determined. At maximum resolution, the eLRS acquires over 300,000 surface points in less than 15 seconds. Lower resolution scans of 27,500 points are acquired in one second. Measurement accuracy of the eLRS, determined through scanning of reference planar and spherical phantoms, is estimated to be 0.38 +/- 0.27 mm at a range of 2 to 6 cm. Registration of the scanned kidney surface with preoperative image data is achieved using a modified iterative closest point algorithm. Surgical guidance is provided through graphical overlay of the boundaries of subsurface lesions, vasculature, ducts, and other renal structures labeled in the CT or MR images, onto the eLRS camera image. Depth to these subsurface targets is also displayed. Proof of clinical feasibility has been established in an explanted perfused porcine kidney experiment.

Stray light causes artifacts in optical computed tomography (CT) that negatively affect the accuracy of radiation dosimetry in gels or solids. Scatter effects are exacerbated by a large dosimeter volume, which is desirable for direct verification of modern radiotherapy treatment plans such as multiple-isocenter radiosurgery. The goal in this study was to design and characterize an optical CT system that achieves high accuracy primary transmission measurements through effective stray light rejection, while maintaining sufficient scan speed for practical application. We present an optical imaging platform that uses a galvanometer mirror for horizontal scanning, and a translation stage for vertical movement of a laser beam and small area detector for minimal stray light production and acceptance. This is coupled with a custom lens-shaped optical CT aquarium for parallel ray sampling of projections. The scanner images 15 cm diameter, 12 cm height cylindrical volumes at 0.33 mm resolution in approximately 30 min. Attenuation coefficients reconstructed from CT scans agreed with independent cuvette measurements within 2% for both absorbing and scattering solutions as well as small 1.25 cm diameter absorbing phantoms placed within a large, scattering medium that mimics gel. Excellent linearity between the optical CT scanner and the independent measurement was observed for solutions with between 90% and 2% transmission. These results indicate that the scanner should achieve highly accurate dosimetry of large volume dosimeters in a reasonable timeframe for clinical application to radiotherapy dose verification procedures.

Stray light causes artifacts in optical computed tomography (CT) that negatively affect the accuracy of radiation dosimetry in gels or solids. Scatter effects are exacerbated by a large dosimeter volume, which is desirable for direct verification of modern radiotherapy treatment plans such as multiple-isocenter radiosurgery. The goal in this study was to design and characterize an optical CT system that achieves high accuracy primary transmission measurements through effective stray light rejection, while maintaining sufficient scan speed for practical application. We present an optical imaging platform that uses a galvanometer mirror for horizontal scanning, and a translation stage for vertical movement of a laser beam and small area detector for minimal stray light production and acceptance. This is coupled with a custom lens-shaped optical CT aquarium for parallel ray sampling of projections. The scanner images 15 cm diameter, 12 cm height cylindrical volumes at 0.33 mm resolution in approximately 30 min. Attenuation coefficients reconstructed from CT scans agreed with independent cuvette measurements within 2% for both absorbing and scattering solutions as well as small 1.25 cm diameter absorbing phantoms placed within a large, scattering medium that mimics gel. Excellent linearity between the optical CT scanner and the independent measurement was observed for solutions with between 90% and 2% transmission. These results indicate that the scanner should achieve highly accurate dosimetry of large volume dosimeters in a reasonable timeframe for clinical application to radiotherapy dose verification procedures.

Terrestrial laserscanner (TLS) and aerial laserscanner (ALS) techniques are nowadays fundamental tools in rock instability assessment, since they provide detailed, homogeneous and accurate data in a remote way, allowing fast and safe surveys. As demonstrated in this study, the combination of TLS- and ALS-based data provides a multi-scale picture which enables an analysis of the tectonic influence on local rock instability phenomena. The study site is the Cinque Torri group placed in Eastern Dolomites (Italy), an internationally well known touristic place with an extension of 41.000 m square, constituted by 12 pinnacles (a 13th pinnacle collapsed in 2004) characterized by frequent rock falls mainly induced by deep ground deformation and rock weathering. TLS and ALS data were combined in order to obtain a complete information, respectively on steep and planar surfaces. In particular, an area of about 3.5 km square was considered in ALS acquisition. The calcareous lithology constituting the Cinque Torri group is broken up by different systems of sub-vertical conjugated faults or fractures related to Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonics. Since the discontinuities strongly influence the behaviour of a rock mass, their recognition and characterization are necessary in hazard assessment of rock cliffs instabilities and in numerical stability analysis. In order to obtain spatial distribution of discontinuities, Coltop-3D software was applied. Such a recently developed package is able to perform a detailed structural analysis starting from the original point cloud. Basically, the spatial orientation of each 3D point and its neighbours is computed through the automatic processing of dip angle and dip direction of the associated fitted plane. The poles of the recognized planes are then plotted in common stereo plots and grouped into joint sets to allow the comparison between regional and local tectonic. In this study a common trend among the specific joint sets was found, even if

The potential and applications of laser-plasma interactions (LPI) are restricted by the parameter space of existing lasers and targets. Advancing the laser intensity to the extreme regime is motivated by the production of energetic particle beams and by the quest to explore the exotic regimes of light-matter interaction. Target density and dimensions can always be varied to optimize the outcome. Here, we propose to create another degree of freedom in the parameter space of LPI using recent advances in 3D printing of materials. Fine structures at nm scale with high repetition and accuracy can nowadays be manufactured, allowing for a full precise control of the target. We demonstrate, via particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, that 3D-printed micro-tube plasma (MTP) targets yield an intensity enhancement factor of 2-5. The novel MTP targets not only act as a plasma optical device to reach the 1023W/cm2 threshold based on today's intensities, but can also boost the generation of secondary particle and radiation sources. This work demonstrates that the combination of high contrast high power lasers and nano-3D printing techniques opens new paths in the intensity frontier and LPI micro-engineering.

The goal of the present article is to illustrate and analyze the applications and the potential of microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) in the analysis of tooth anatomy and root canal morphology. The authors performed a micro-CT analysis of the following different teeth: maxillary first molars with a second canal in the mesiobuccal (MB) root, mandibular first molars with complex anatomy in the mesial root, premolars with single and double roots and with complicated apical anatomy. The hardware device used in this study was a desktop X-ray microfocus CT scanner (SkyScan 1072, SkyScan bvba, Aartselaar, Belgium). A specific software ResolveRT Amira (Visage Imaging) was used for the 3D analysis and imaging. The authors obtained three-dimensional images from 15 teeth. It was possible to precisely visualize and analyze external and internal anatomy of teeth, showing the finest details. Among the 5 upper molars analyzed, in three cases, the MB canals joined into one canal, while in the other two molars the two mesial canals were separate. Among the lower molars two of the five samples exhibited a single canal in the mesial root, which had a broad, flat appearance in a mesiodistal dimension. In the five premolar teeth, the canals were independent; however, the apical delta and ramifications of the root canals were quite complex. Micro-CT offers a simple and reproducible technique for 3D noninvasive assessment of the anatomy of root canal systems.

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D-printing, is a near-net shape manufacturing approach, delivering part geometry that can be considerably affected by various process conditions, heat-induced distortions, solidified melt droplets, partially fused powders, and surface modifications induced by the manufacturing tool motion and processing strategy. High-repetition rate femtosecond and picosecond laser radiation was utilized to improve surface quality of metal parts manufactured by laser additive techniques. Different laser scanning approaches were utilized to increase the ablation efficiency and to reduce the surface roughness while preserving the initial part geometry. We studied post-processing of 3D-shaped parts made of Nickel- and Titanium-base alloys by utilizing Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) as additive manufacturing techniques. Process parameters such as the pulse energy, the number of layers and their spatial separation were varied. Surface processing in several layers was necessary to remove the excessive material, such as individual powder particles, and to reduce the average surface roughness from asdeposited 22-45 μm to a few microns. Due to the ultrafast laser-processing regime and the small heat-affected zone induced in materials, this novel integrated manufacturing approach can be used to post-process parts made of thermally and mechanically sensitive materials, and to attain complex designed shapes with micrometer precision.

Laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) is employed in a special, high accuracy jetting regime, by adequately matching the sub-nanosecond pulse duration to the metal donor layer thickness. Under such conditions, an effective solid nozzle is formed, providing stability and directionality to the femto-liter droplets which are printed from a large gap in excess of 400 μm. We illustrate the wide applicability of this method by printing several 3D metal objects. First, very high aspect ratio (A/R > 20), micron scale, copper pillars in various configuration, upright and arbitrarily bent, then a micron scale 3D object composed of gold and copper. Such a digital printing method could serve the generation of complex, multi-material, micron-scale, 3D materials and novel structures. PMID:26602432

Preoperative assessment of breast volume could contribute significantly to the planning of breast-related procedures. The availability of 3D scanning technology provides us with an innovative method for doing this. We performed this study to compare measurements by this technology with breast volume measurement by water displacement. A total of 30 patients undergoing 39 mastectomies were recruited from our center. The volume of each patient's breast(s) was determined with a preoperative 3Dlaser scan. The volume of the mastectomy specimen was then measured in the operating theater by water displacement. There was a strong linear association between breast volumes measured using the 2 different methods when using a Pearson correlation (r = 0.95, P < 0.001). The mastectomy mean volume was defined by the equation: mastectomy mean volume = (scan mean volume × 1.03) -70.6. This close correlation validates the Cyberware WBX Scanner as a tool for assessment of breast volume.

Scanning system is often considered as the most important part for 3Dlaser vision sensor. In this paper, we propose a method for the optical system design of angle extended linear MEMS scanning system, which has features of huge scanning degree, small beam divergence angle and small spot size for 3Dlaser vision sensor. The principle of design and theoretical formulas are derived strictly. With the help of software ZEMAX, a linear scanning optical system based on MEMS has been designed. Results show that the designed system can extend scanning angle from ±8° to ±26.5° with a divergence angle small than 3.5 mr, and the spot size is reduced for 4.545 times.

Recent results on laser wakefield acceleration in tailored plasma channels have underlined the importance of controlling the density profile of the gas target. In particular, it was reported that the appropriate density tailoring can result in improved injection, acceleration, and collimation of laser-accelerated electron beams. To achieve such profiles, innovative target designs are required. For this purpose, we have reviewed the usage of additive layer manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, in order to produce gas jet nozzles. Notably we have compared the performance of two industry standard techniques, namely, selective laser sintering (SLS) and stereolithography (SLA). Furthermore we have used the common fused deposition modeling to reproduce basic gas jet designs and used SLA and SLS for more sophisticated nozzle designs. The nozzles are characterized interferometrically and used for electron acceleration experiments with the Salle Jaune terawatt laser at Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée.

In time-of-flight based laserscanners, measurable distance and accuracy are the most important parameters to determine performances. The optical system of the laserscanner should be optimally designed since a high intensity of measured signal increases the measurable distance and accuracy. Therefore, it is important to understand how the optical component layout affects the laserscanner performances. Optical component design for co-axial and bi-axial mechanisms are considered in the paper.

In the fields of industrial design, artistic design and heritage conservation, physical objects are usually digitalized by reverse engineering through some 3D scanning methods. Laser scan and photogrammetry are two main methods to be used. For laser scan, a video camera and a laser source are necessary, and for photogrammetry, a digital still camera with high resolution pixels is indispensable. In some 3D modeling tasks, two methods are often integrated to get satisfactory results. Although many research works have been done on how to combine the results of the two methods, no work has been reported to design an integrated device at low cost. In this paper, a new 3D scan system combining laser scan and photogrammetry using a single consumer digital camera is proposed. Nowadays there are many consumer digital cameras, such as Canon EOS 5D Mark II, they usually have features of more than 10M pixels still photo recording and full 1080p HD movie recording, so a integrated scan system can be designed using such a camera. A square plate glued with coded marks is used to place the 3d objects, and two straight wood rulers also glued with coded marks can be laid on the plate freely. In the photogrammetry module, the coded marks on the plate make up a world coordinate and can be used as control network to calibrate the camera, and the planes of two rulers can also be determined. The feature points of the object and the rough volume representation from the silhouettes can be obtained in this module. In the laser scan module, a hand-held line laser is used to scan the object, and the two straight rulers are used as reference planes to determine the position of the laser. The laser scan results in dense points cloud which can be aligned together automatically through calibrated camera parameters. The final complete digital model is obtained through a new a patchwise energy functional method by fusion of the feature points, rough volume and the dense points cloud. The design

This article presents 3-D aluminum micro-nanostructures for enhanced light absorption. Periodic microhole arrays were created by firing a train of femtosecond laser pulses at megahertz pulse frequency onto the surface of an aluminum target at ambient conditions. The laser trains ablated the target surface and created microholes leading to the generation of deposited nanostructures inside and around the microholes. These micro-nanostructures showed enhanced light absorption, which is attributed to surface plasmonics induced by the generation of both nano- and microstructures. These micro-nanostructures may be promising for solar cell applications.

This article presents 3-D aluminum micro-nanostructures for enhanced light absorption. Periodic microhole arrays were created by firing a train of femtosecond laser pulses at megahertz pulse frequency onto the surface of an aluminum target at ambient conditions. The laser trains ablated the target surface and created microholes leading to the generation of deposited nanostructures inside and around the microholes. These micro-nanostructures showed enhanced light absorption, which is attributed to surface plasmonics induced by the generation of both nano- and microstructures. These micro-nanostructures may be promising for solar cell applications.

This article presents 3-D aluminum micro-nanostructures for enhanced light absorption. Periodic microhole arrays were created by firing a train of femtosecond laser pulses at megahertz pulse frequency onto the surface of an aluminum target at ambient conditions. The laser trains ablated the target surface and created microholes leading to the generation of deposited nanostructures inside and around the microholes. These micro-nanostructures showed enhanced light absorption, which is attributed to surface plasmonics induced by the generation of both nano- and microstructures. These micro-nanostructures may be promising for solar cell applications. PMID:24225364

Slender, out-of-plane metal microdevices are made in a new spatial domain, by using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of metals. Here, a thermocouple with a thickness of 10 µm and a height of 250 µm, consisting of platinum and gold pillars is demonstrated. Multimaterial LIFT enables manufacturing in the micrometer to millimeter range, i.e., between lithography and other 3D printing technologies.

This paper presents a mobile 3D coordinate measuring system for large scale metrology. This system is composed of a network of rotating laser automatic theodolites (N-RLATs) and a portable touch probe. In the N-RLAT system, each RLAT consists of two laser fans which rotate about its own Z axis at a constant speed and scan the whole metrology space. The optical sensors mounted on the portable touch probe receive the sweeping laser fans and generate the corresponding pulse signals, which establish a relationship between rotating angle of laser fan and time, and then the space angle measurement is converted into the corresponding peak time precision measurement of pulse signal. The rotating laser fans are modeled mathematically as a time varying parametrical vector in its local framework. A two steps on-site calibration method for solving the parameters of each RLAT and coordinate transformation among the N-RLATs. The portable probe is composed of optical sensors array with specified geometrical features and a touch point, on which the coordinates of optical sensors is determined by the N-RLATs and the touch point is estimated by solving a non-linear system. A prototype mobile 3D coordinate measuring system is developed and experiment results show its validity.

We demonstrate how the coupling between (i) polarization of the writing laser beam, (ii) tight focusing and (iii) heat conduction affects the size, shape and absorption in the laser-affected area and therefore the polymerization process. It is possible to control the sizes of 3Dlaser-produced structure at the scale of several nanometers. Specifically we were able to tune the aspect ratio of 3D suspended line up to 20% in hybrid SZ2080 resist. The focal spot of tightly focused linearly polarized beam has an elliptical form with the long axis in the field direction. It is shown here that this effect is enhanced by increase in the electronic heat conduction when polarization coincide with temperature gradient along with the absorption. Overlapping of three effects (i- iii) results in the difference of several tens of nanometers between two axes of the focal ellipse. Narrow line appears when polarization and scan direction coincide, while the wide line is produced when these directions are perpendicular to each other. The effect scales with the laser intensity giving a possibility to control the width of the structure on nanometer scale as demonstrated experimentally in this work. These effects are of general nature and can be observed in any laser-matter interaction experiments where plasma produced by using tight focusing of linear-polarized light.

The laser scanning technology has become a common method for the daily applications of a large variety of scientists and professionals. Even for more sophisticated projects, laserscanners have been proved a very useful tool at researchers' and engineers' disposal. In this paper, we investigated the ability of a laserscanner compared to the ability of a total station to provide the geometry of solids. The tests were made in the laboratory facilities of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in a variety of distances between the measuring instrument and the object. The solids that were used differ in shape, material and color. The objects are a wooden cube, a metal cube and a wooden pyramid. The absolute dimensions of the solid shapes were provided by the use of a caliper and were compared to the dimensions that were calculated by the coordinates produced by the total station and laserscanner measurements.

Coaxial powder injection into a laser beam was applied for the laser-assisted direct manufacturing of 3D functionally graded (FG) objects. The powders of Stainless Steel 316L and Stellite grade 12 were applied. The following laser sources were used: (1) quasi-cw CO2 Rofin Sinar laser with 120 μm focal spot diameter and (2) pulsed-periodic Nd:YAG (HAAS HL 304P) with 200 μm focal spot diameter. The objects were fabricated layer-by-layer in the form of "walls", having the thickness of about 200 μm for CO2 laser and 300 μm for Nd:YAG laser. SEM analysis was applied for the FG objects fabricated by CO2 laser, yielding wall elements distribution in vertical direction. It was found that microhardness distribution is fully correlated with the components distribution. The compositional gradient can be smooth or sharp. Periodic multi-layered structures can be obtained as well. Minimal thickness of a layer with the fixed composition (for cw CO2 laser) is about 50 μm. Minimal thickness of a graded material zone, i.e. zone with composition variation from pure stainless steel to pure stellite is about 30 μm.

This paper investigates the problem of multiclass and multiview 3-D object detection for service robots operating in a cluttered indoor environment. A novel 3-D object detection system using laser point clouds is proposed to deal with cluttered indoor scenes with a fewer and imbalanced training data. Raw 3-D point clouds are first transformed to 2-D bearing angle images to reduce the computational cost, and then jointly trained multiple object detectors are deployed to perform the multiclass and multiview 3-D object detection. The reclassification technique is utilized on each detected low confidence bounding box in the system to reduce false alarms in the detection. The RUS-SMOTEboost algorithm is used to train a group of independent binary classifiers with imbalanced training data. Dense histograms of oriented gradients and local binary pattern features are combined as a feature set for the reclassification task. Based on the dalian university of technology (DUT)-3-D data set taken from various office and household environments, experimental results show the validity and good performance of the proposed method.

Two photon polymerization (TPP) based 3D direct laser writing (3D-DLW) finds application in a wide range of research areas ranging from photonic and mechanical metamaterials to micro-devices. Most common structures are either single lines or formed by a set of interconnected lines as in the case of crystals. In order to increase the fidelity of these structures and reach the ultimate resolution, the laser power and scan speed used in the writing process should be chosen carefully. However, the optimization of these writing parameters is an iterative and time consuming process in the absence of a model for the estimation of line dimensions. To this end, we report a semi-empirical analytic model through simulations and fitting, and demonstrate that it can be used for estimating the line dimensions mostly within one standard deviation of the average values over a wide range of laser power and scan speed combinations. The model delimits the trend in onset of micro-explosions in the photoresist due to over-exposure and of low degree of conversion due to under-exposure. The model guides setting of high-fidelity and robust writing parameters of a photonic crystal structure without iteration and in close agreement with the estimated line dimensions. The proposed methodology is generalizable by adapting the model coefficients to any 3D-DLW setup and corresponding photoresist as a means to estimate the line dimensions for tuning the writing parameters.

Curating boats can be difficult. They are complex structures, often demanding to conserve whether in or out of the water; they are usually large, difficult to move on land, and demanding of gallery space. Communicating life on board to a visiting public in the terra firma context of a museum can be difficult. Boats in their native environment are inherently dynamic artifacts. In a museum they can be static and divorced from the maritime context that might inspire engagement. New technologies offer new approaches to these problems. 3Dlaser scanning and digital modeling offers museums a multifaceted means of recording, monitoring, studying and communicating watercraft in their care. In this paper we describe the application of 3Dlaser scanning and subsequent digital modeling. Laser scans were further developed using computer-generated imagery (CGI) modeling techniques to produce photorealistic 3D digital models for development into interactive, media-based museum displays. The scans were also used to generate 2D naval lines and orthographic drawings as a lasting curatorial record of the dhows held by the National Museum of Qatar.

The main purpose of the bar code in the modern world is the unique identification of the product, service, or any of their features, so personal and stationary barcode scanners so widely used. One of the important parameters of bar code scanners is their reliability, accuracy of the barcode recognition, response time and performance. Nowadays, the most popular personal barcode scanners contain a mechanical part, which extremely impairs the reliability indices. Group of SUAI engineers has proposed bar code scanner based on laser beam acoustic deflection effect in crystals [RU patent No 156009 issued 4/16/2015] Through the use of an acousto-optic deflector element in barcode scanner described by a group of engineers SUAI, it can be implemented in the manual form factor, and the stationary form factor of a barcode scanner. Being a wave electronic device, an acousto-optic element in the composition of the acousto-optic barcode scanner allows you to clearly establish a mathematical link between the encoded function of the bar code with the accepted input photodetector intensities function that allows you to speak about the great probability of a bar code clear definition. This paper provides a description of the issued patent, the description of the principles of operation based on the mathematical analysis, a description of the layout of the implemented scanner.

Optical solid state deflectors rely on the electro-optical or acousto-optic effect. These Electro-Optical Deflectors (EODs) and Acousto-Optical Deflectors (AODs) do not contain moving parts and therefore exhibit high deflection velocities and are free of drawbacks associated with mechanical scanners. A description of the principles of operation of EODs and AODs is presented. In addition, characteristics, properties and the (dis)advantages of EODs and AODs, when compared to mirror based mechanical deflectors, is discussed. Deflection angles, speed and accuracy are discussed in terms of resolvable spots and related quantities. Also, response time, damage threshold, efficiency and the type and magnitude of beam distortions is addressed. Optical deflectors are characterized by high angular deflection velocities, but small deflection angles. Whereas mechanical mechanical scanners are characterized by relatively small deflection velocities, but large deflection angles. Arranging an optical deflector and a mechanical scanner in series allows to take advantage of the best of both worlds.

The intensity data recorded by terrestrial laser scanning systems are considered significant measures of the spectral property of scanned objects. These data can be used in an extensive range of object-based applications. However, the direct retrieval of reflectance from intensity information is infeasible because intensity data are influenced by multiple variables, particularly distance and incidence angle. This study proposes a new method to recover the absolute reflectance value of the scanned surface by eliminating the effects of distance and incidence angle. The Faro Focus3D 120 terrestrial scanner is utilized in the case study. Two sets of experiments are designed to estimate the parameters of the developed model by using Lambertian targets at different reflectance values. With the estimated parameters, the proposed method is applied to recover the reflectance values of natural surfaces. The deviation of the retrieved reflectance values of natural surfaces from the reflectance values measured by a spectrometer is approximately 2.64%. Results show that the proposed method exhibits high accuracy in retrieving reflectance values and can be utilized for actual mapping tasks and geological applications.

Conventional building inspection of bridges, dams or large constructions in general is rather time consuming and often cost expensive due to traffic closures and the need of special heavy vehicles such as under-bridge inspection units or other large lifting platforms. In consideration that, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be more reliable and efficient as well as less expensive and simpler to operate. The utilisation of UAVs as an assisting tool in building inspections is obviously. Furthermore, light-weight special sensors such as infrared and thermal cameras as well as laserscanner are available and predestined for usage on unmanned aircraft systems. Such a flexible low-cost system is realized in the ADFEX project with the goal of time-efficient object exploration, monitoring and damage detection. For this purpose, a fleet of UAVs, equipped with several sensors for navigation, obstacle avoidance and 3D object-data acquisition, has been developed and constructed. This contribution deals with the potential of UAV-based data in building inspection. Therefore, an overview of the ADFEX project, sensor specifications and requirements of building inspections in general are given. On the basis of results achieved in practical studies, the applicability and potential of the UAV system in building inspection will be presented and discussed.

Laser processes for cutting, modification and structuring of energy storage materials such as electrodes, separator materials and current collectors have a great potential in order to minimize the fabrication costs and to increase the performance and operational lifetime of high power lithium-ion-batteries applicable for stand-alone electric energy storage devices and electric vehicles. Laser direct patterning of battery materials enable a rather new technical approach in order to adjust 3D surface architectures and porosity of composite electrode materials such as LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4, Li(NiMnCo)O2, and Silicon. The architecture design, the increase of active surface area, and the porosity of electrodes or separator layers can be controlled by laser processes and it was shown that a huge impact on electrolyte wetting, lithium-ion diffusion kinetics, cell life-time and cycling stability can be achieved. In general, the ultrafast laser processing can be used for precise surface texturing of battery materials. Nevertheless, regarding cost-efficient production also nanosecond laser material processing can be successfully applied for selected types of energy storage materials. A new concept for an advanced battery manufacturing including laser materials processing is presented. For developing an optimized 3D architecture for high power composite thick film electrodes electrochemical analytics and post mortem analytics using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy were performed. Based on mapping of lithium in composite electrodes, an analytical approach for studying chemical degradation in structured and unstructured lithium-ion batteries will be presented.

Laser shock micro-forming is a non-thermal laser forming method that use laser-induced shockwave to modify surface properties and to adjust shapes and geometry of work pieces. In this paper, we present an adaptive optical technique to engineer spatial profiles of the laser beam to exert precision control on the laser shock forming process for free-standing MEMS structures. Using a spatial light modulator, on-target laser energy profiles are engineered to control shape, size, and deformation magnitude, which has led to significant improvement of the laser shock processing outcome at micrometer scales. The results presented in this paper show that the adaptive-optics laser beam forming is an effective method to improve both quality and throughput of the laser forming process at micrometer scales.

This paper describes a precision-guided surgical navigation system for minimally invasive surgery. The system combines a laser guidance technique with a three-dimensional (3D) autostereoscopic image overlay technique. Images of surgical anatomic structures superimposed onto the patient are created by employing an animated imaging method called integral videography (IV), which can display geometrically accurate 3D autostereoscopic images and reproduce motion parallax without the need for special viewing or tracking devices. To improve the placement accuracy of surgical instruments, we integrated an image overlay system with a laser guidance system for alignment of the surgical instrument and better visualization of patient's internal structure. We fabricated a laser guidance device and mounted it on an IV image overlay device. Experimental evaluations showed that the system could guide a linear surgical instrument toward a target with an average error of 2.48 mm and standard deviation of 1.76 mm. Further improvement to the design of the laser guidance device and the patient-image registration procedure of the IV image overlay will make this system practical; its use would increase surgical accuracy and reduce invasiveness.

A fluorescent scanner for scanning the fluorescence from a fluorescence labeled separated sample on a sample carrier including a confocal microscope for illuminating a predetermined volume of the sample carrier and/or receiving and processing fluorescence emissions from said volume to provide a display of the separated sample.

In Canton Ticino (Southern Switzerland), the exploitation of natural stone, mostly gneisses, is an important activity of valley's economies. Nowadays, these economic activities are menaced by (i) the exploitation costs related to geological phenomena such as fractures, faults and heterogeneous rocks that hinder the processing of the stone product, (ii) continuously changing demand because of the evolving natural stone fashion and (iii) increasing administrative limits and rules acting to protect the environment. Therefore, the sustainable development of the sector for the next decades needs new and effective strategies to regulate and plan the quarries. A fundamental step in this process is the building of a 3D geological model of the quarries to constrain the volume of commercial natural stone and the volume of waste. In this context, we conducted Terrestrial Laser Scanning surveys of the quarries in the Maggia Valley to obtain a detailed 3D topography onto which the geological units were mapped. The topographic 3D model was obtained with a long-range laser scanning Riegl VZ4000 that can measure from up to 4 km of distance with a speed of 147,000 points per second. It operates with the new V-line technology, which defines the surface relief by sensing differentiated signals (echoes), even in the presence of obstacles such as vegetation. Depending on the esthetics of the gneisses, we defined seven types of natural stones that, together with faults and joints, were mapped onto the 3D models of the exploitation sites. According to the orientation of the geological limits and structures, we projected the different rock units and fractures into the excavation front. This way, we obtained a 3D geological model from which we can quantitatively estimate the volume of the seven different natural stones (with different commercial value) and waste (with low commercial value). To verify the 3D geological models and to quantify exploited rock and waste volumes the same

The paper describes an experiment which took place in Iasi town, Romania, consisted in two different topographical survey techniques applied for one and the same objective placed in a block within the city (western part) - a thermal power station. The purpose was to compare those methods and to determine which one is proper to be used in this domain in terms of fastness, optimization and speed of data processing. First technique applied for our survey was the classical one, with a total station. Using the CAD technique, we obtained a final product (a dwg file) and a list of coordinates (a text file). The second method, which we focused our attention more, was the measurement with a very precise 3Dlaser scanstation, also very suitable in archeology. The data obtained were processed with special software. Result was a 3D model of the thermal power plant composed of measurable cloud point data. Finally, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each method, we came to the conclusion that the 3Dlaser scanning which we used matches well the application, in this case civil engineering, but the future of accepting and implementing this technique is in the hands of Romanian authorities.

We present a novel method for real-time 3-D body-shape measurement during breathing based on the laser multiple-line triangulation principle. The laser projector illuminates the measured surface with a pattern of 33 equally inclined light planes. Simultaneously, the camera records the distorted light pattern from a different viewpoint. The acquired images are transferred to a personal computer, where the 3-D surface reconstruction, shape analysis, and display are performed in real time. The measured surface displacements are displayed with a color palette, which enables visual feedback to the patient while breathing is being taught. The measuring range is approximately 400×600×500 mm in width, height, and depth, respectively, and the accuracy of the calibrated apparatus is ±0.7 mm. The system was evaluated by means of its capability to distinguish between different breathing patterns. The accuracy of the measured volumes of chest-wall deformation during breathing was verified using standard methods of volume measurements. The results show that the presented 3-D measuring system with visual feedback has great potential as a diagnostic and training assistance tool when monitoring and evaluating the breathing pattern, because it offers a simple and effective method of graphical communication with the patient.

The automatic reconstruction of 3D buildings has been an important research topic during the last years. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to automatically reconstruct the 3D building models from segmented data based on pre-defined formal grammar and rules. Such segmented data can be extracted e.g. from terrestrial or mobile laser scanning devices. Two steps are considered in detail. The first step is to transform the segmented data into 3D shapes, for instance using the DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) format which is a CAD data file format used for data interchange between AutoCAD and other program. Second, we develop a formal grammar to describe the building model structure and integrate the pre-defined grammars into the reconstruction process. Depending on the different segmented data, the selected grammar and rules are applied to drive the reconstruction process in an automatic manner. Compared with other existing approaches, our proposed method allows the model reconstruction directly from 3D shapes and takes the whole building into account.

The establishment of high quality triangular mesh is one of the key steps in 3Dlaser scanning data processing. Traditional triangulation algorithms have been proposed directly on the basis of adjacency relation between points in 3D space. However, when the point density is non-uniform or the noise exists, the problems such as surface hole, dough sheet overlapping and inconsistent normal appear easily. In this paper, a triangular mesh establishing algorithm based on ellipsoidal projection is proposed. After comparing the theory of ellipsoidal projection and cylindrical projection, the proposed triangular mesh establishing algorithm is analyzed in detail including basic idea and implementation method. To evaluate the performance and efficiency of the proposed algorithm, two experiments are then carried out on the 3D point cloud data of a foundation pit. The results indicate that though the computational efficiency of proposed algorithm is a little inferior to the algorithm based on cylindrical projection, the proposed algorithm is more effective for establishing point cloud of both top and bottom of the object and the original topological relation of 3D scanning points can be maintained better.

A laser stripe sensor has limited application when a point cloud of geometric samples on the surface of the object needs to be collected, so a galvanometric laserscanner is designed by using a one-mirror galvanometer element as its mechanical device to drive the laser stripe to sweep along the object. A novel mathematical model is derived for the proposed galvanometer laserscanner without any position assumptions and then a model-driven calibration procedure is proposed. Compared with available model-driven approaches, the influence of machining and assembly errors is considered in the proposed model. Meanwhile, a plane-constraint-based approach is proposed to extract a large number of calibration points effectively and accurately to calibrate the galvanometric laserscanner. Repeatability and accuracy of the galvanometric laserscanner are evaluated on the automobile production line to verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed calibration method. Experimental results show that the proposed calibration approach yields similar measurement performance compared with a look-up table calibration method. PMID:28098844

A laser stripe sensor has limited application when a point cloud of geometric samples on the surface of the object needs to be collected, so a galvanometric laserscanner is designed by using a one-mirror galvanometer element as its mechanical device to drive the laser stripe to sweep along the object. A novel mathematical model is derived for the proposed galvanometer laserscanner without any position assumptions and then a model-driven calibration procedure is proposed. Compared with available model-driven approaches, the influence of machining and assembly errors is considered in the proposed model. Meanwhile, a plane-constraint-based approach is proposed to extract a large number of calibration points effectively and accurately to calibrate the galvanometric laserscanner. Repeatability and accuracy of the galvanometric laserscanner are evaluated on the automobile production line to verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed calibration method. Experimental results show that the proposed calibration approach yields similar measurement performance compared with a look-up table calibration method.

Point cloud data collected along a 500 meter portion of the 2014 South Napa Earthquake surface rupture near Cuttings Wharf Road, Napa, CA, USA. The data include 7 point cloud files (.laz). The files are named with the location and date of collection and either ALSM for airborne laserscanner data or TLS for terrestrial laserscanner data. The ALSM data re previously released but are included here because they have been precisely aligned with the TLS data as described in the processing section of this metadata.

3-D Real-time Measurement System of seam outline based on Moiré Projection is proposed and designed. The system is composed of LD, grating, CCD, video A/D, FPGA, DSP and an output interface. The principle and hardware makeup of high-speed and real-time image processing circuit based on a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) are introduced. Noise generation mechanism in poor welding field conditions is analyzed when Moiré stripes are projected on a welding workpiece surface. Median filter is adopted to smooth the acquired original laser image of seam, and then measurement results of a 3-D outline image of weld groove are provided.

Tuning and stabilizing topological states, such as Weyl semimetals, Dirac semimetals or topological insulators, is emerging as one of the major topics in materials science. Periodic driving of many-body systems offers a platform to design Floquet states of matter with tunable electronic properties on ultrafast timescales. Here we show by first principles calculations how femtosecond laser pulses with circularly polarized light can be used to switch between Weyl semimetal, Dirac semimetal and topological insulator states in a prototypical three-dimensional (3D) Dirac material, Na3Bi. Our findings are general and apply to any 3D Dirac semimetal. We discuss the concept of time-dependent bands and steering of Floquet-Weyl points and demonstrate how light can enhance topological protection against lattice perturbations. This work has potential practical implications for the ultrafast switching of materials properties, such as optical band gaps or anomalous magnetoresistance.

Biomimetic functional surfaces are attracting increasing attention for their relevant technological applications. Despite these efforts, inherent limitations of microfabrication techniques prevent the replication of complex hierarchical microstructures. Using a 3Dlaser lithography technique, we fabricated a 3D patterned surface bioinspired to Salvinia molesta leaves. The artificial hairs, with crownlike heads, were reproduced by scaling down (ca. 100 times smaller) the dimensions of natural features, so that microscale hairs with submicrometric resolution were attained. The micropatterned surface, in analogy with the natural model, shows interesting properties in terms of hydrophobicity and air retention when submerged by water, even if realized with a hydrophilic material. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrated the capability to promote localized condensation of water droplets from moisture in the atmosphere. PMID:26558410

Tuning and stabilizing topological states, such as Weyl semimetals, Dirac semimetals or topological insulators, is emerging as one of the major topics in materials science. Periodic driving of many-body systems offers a platform to design Floquet states of matter with tunable electronic properties on ultrafast timescales. Here we show by first principles calculations how femtosecond laser pulses with circularly polarized light can be used to switch between Weyl semimetal, Dirac semimetal and topological insulator states in a prototypical three-dimensional (3D) Dirac material, Na3Bi. Our findings are general and apply to any 3D Dirac semimetal. We discuss the concept of time-dependent bands and steering of Floquet-Weyl points and demonstrate how light can enhance topological protection against lattice perturbations. This work has potential practical implications for the ultrafast switching of materials properties, such as optical band gaps or anomalous magnetoresistance.

Biomimetic functional surfaces are attracting increasing attention for their relevant technological applications. Despite these efforts, inherent limitations of microfabrication techniques prevent the replication of complex hierarchical microstructures. Using a 3Dlaser lithography technique, we fabricated a 3D patterned surface bioinspired to Salvinia molesta leaves. The artificial hairs, with crownlike heads, were reproduced by scaling down (ca. 100 times smaller) the dimensions of natural features, so that microscale hairs with submicrometric resolution were attained. The micropatterned surface, in analogy with the natural model, shows interesting properties in terms of hydrophobicity and air retention when submerged by water, even if realized with a hydrophilic material. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrated the capability to promote localized condensation of water droplets from moisture in the atmosphere.

Nanomaterials represent a rapidly expanding area of research with huge potential for future medical applications. Nanotechnology indeed promises to revolutionize diagnostics, drug delivery, gene therapy, and many other areas of research. For any biological investigation involving nanomaterials, it is crucial to study the behavior of such nano-objects within tissues to evaluate both their efficacy and their toxicity. Here, we provide the first account of 3D label-free nanoparticle imaging at the entire-organ scale. The technology used is known as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and possesses several advantages such as speed of operation, ease of use and full compatibility with optical microscopy. We then used two different but complementary approaches to achieve 3D elemental imaging with LIBS: a volume reconstruction of a sliced organ and in-depth analysis. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the quantitative imaging of both endogenous and exogenous elements within entire organs and paves the way for innumerable applications.

Perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets were studied as new generation ultrasound contrast agents via acoustic or optical droplet vaporization (ADV or ODV). Little is known about the ODV irradiated vaporization mechanisms of PFC-microparticle complexs and the stability of the new bubbles produced. In this study, fluorescent perfluorohexane (PFH) poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles were used as a model to study the process of particle vaporization and bubble stability following excitation in two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cell models. We observed localization of the fluorescent agent on the microparticle coating material initially and after vaporization under fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the stability and growth dynamics of the newly created bubbles were observed for 11 min following vaporization. The particles were co-cultured with 2-D cells to form 3-D spheroids and could be vaporized even when encapsulated within the spheroids via laser irradiation, which provides an effective basis for further work.

Tuning and stabilizing topological states, such as Weyl semimetals, Dirac semimetals or topological insulators, is emerging as one of the major topics in materials science. Periodic driving of many-body systems offers a platform to design Floquet states of matter with tunable electronic properties on ultrafast timescales. Here we show by first principles calculations how femtosecond laser pulses with circularly polarized light can be used to switch between Weyl semimetal, Dirac semimetal and topological insulator states in a prototypical three-dimensional (3D) Dirac material, Na3Bi. Our findings are general and apply to any 3D Dirac semimetal. We discuss the concept of time-dependent bands and steering of Floquet–Weyl points and demonstrate how light can enhance topological protection against lattice perturbations. This work has potential practical implications for the ultrafast switching of materials properties, such as optical band gaps or anomalous magnetoresistance. PMID:28094286

Moving object detection is a major research direction of video surveillance systems. This paper proposes a novel approach for moving object detection by fusing information from the laserscanner and infrared camera. First, in accordance with the feature of laserscanner data, we apply robust principal component analysis (RPCA) to studying moving object detection. Then the depth and angle information of moving objects is mapped to the infrared image pixels so as to obtain the regions of interest (ROI). Finally, moving objects can be recognized by making investigation of the ROI. Experimental results show that this method has good real-time performance and accuracy.

We present a system for people counting and re-identification. It can be used by transit and homeland security agencies. Under FTA SBIR program, we have developed a preliminary system for transit passenger counting and re-identification using a laserscanner and video camera. The laserscanner is used to identify the locations of passenger's head and shoulder in an image, a challenging task in crowed environment. It can also estimate the passenger height without prior calibration. Various color models have been applied to form color signatures. Finally, using a statistical fusion and classification scheme, passengers are counted and re-identified.

Terrestrial laser scanning technology provides its users with many advantages. Fast data collection and high accuracy data acquisition of terrestrial laserscanners extends their use. This method is often preferred in technical architecture studies, drawings of facade relieve, production of 3D models of urban and industrial structures. Tools having different precisions for various purposes and measurement principal are used. The system has three measurement principles, time-of-flight measurement, phase measurement and triangulation-based measurements. These methods and tools have been tested in laboratory conditions, provided with accuracy analyses. Different objects of different sizes are used and the effect of changing the scanning distance, angle, and resolution of the object geometry is examined. The instrument 'Scan Station C10', working with impulse method and having the feature of scanning with 4 different resolutions, respectively low, medium, high and highest scanning options has been employed. A position accuracy of 6 mm, distance accuracy of 4 mm, horizontal and vertical rotation angle of 12" has been used. On determining these accuracies, various measurements have been performed in the range of 1m - 50 m. For performing an accuracy analysis, a calibration plate has been used. Four different geometric shapes, equilateral triangle, square, circle and a plus sign have been placed on the plate. The measurement basis or line is 300 m long. The calibration plate ranging between 0 - 100 m is linearly placed at 10 m intervals, whereas the range of 100 - 300 m is linearly placed at 50 m intervals. Without moving the plate from the testing point, the scanning distance has been kept equal and has been scanned at three different angles. This process was repeated for every designated point. This study has been extrapolated to analyze the effect of different scanning distance, angle and resolution and the change in the structure of the object.

A new robust way for ground surface extraction from mobile laser scanning 3D point cloud data is proposed in this paper. Fitting polynomials along 2D/3D points is one of the well-known methods for filtering ground points, but it is evident that unorganized point clouds consist of multiple complex structures by nature so it is not suitable for fitting a parametric global model. The aim of this research is to develop and implement an algorithm to classify ground and non-ground points based on statistically robust locally weighted regression which fits a regression surface (line in 2D) by fitting without any predefined global functional relation among the variables of interest. Afterwards, the z (elevation)-values are robustly down weighted based on the residuals for the fitted points. The new set of down weighted z-values along with x (or y) values are used to get a new fit of the (lower) surface (line). The process of fitting and down-weighting continues until the difference between two consecutive fits is insignificant. Then the final fit represents the ground level of the given point cloud and the ground surface points can be extracted. The performance of the new method has been demonstrated through vehicle based mobile laser scanning 3D point cloud data from urban areas which include different problematic objects such as short walls, large buildings, electric poles, sign posts and cars. The method has potential in areas like building/construction footprint determination, 3D city modelling, corridor mapping and asset management.

Inspecting objects with reflective surfaces using 3Dlaser scanning is a demanded but challenging part inspection task due to undesirable specular reflections, which produce extensive outliers in the scanned point cloud. These outliers need to be removed in order to alleviate subsequent data processing issues. Many existing automatic outlier removal methods do not detect outliers according to the outlier formation properties. As a result, these methods only offer limited capabilities in removing extensive and complex outliers from scanning objects with reflective surfaces. This paper reports an empirical study which experimentally investigates the outlier formation characteristics in relation to the scanning orientation of the laser probe. The objective is to characterize the scanning orientation effects on outlier formation in order to facilitate the development of an effective outlier detection and removal method. Such an experimental investigation was hardly done before. It has been found in this work that scanning orientation can directly affect outlier extensity and occurrence in 3Dlaser scanning. A general guidance on proper scan path planning can then be provided with an aim to reduce the occurrence of outliers. Further, the observed dependency of outlier formation on scanning orientation can be exploited to facilitate effective and automatic outlier detection and removal.

We report a comprehensive study of laser-initiated, liquid-assisted colloidal (LILAC) lithography, and illustrate its utility in patterning silicon substrates. The method combines single shot laser irradiation (frequency doubled Ti-sapphire laser, 50fs pulse duration, 400nm wavelength) and medium-tuned optical near-field effects around arrays of silica colloidal particles to achieve 3-D surface patterning of silicon. A monolayer (or multilayers) of hexagonal close packed silica colloidal particles act as a mask and offer a route to liquid-tuned optical near field enhancement effects. The resulting patterns are shown to depend on the difference in refractive index of the colloidal particles (ncolloid) and the liquid (nliquid) in which they are immersed. Two different topographies are demonstrated experimentally: (a) arrays of bumps, centred beneath the original colloidal particles, when using liquids with nliquidncolloid - and explained with the aid of complementary Mie scattering simulations. The LILAC lithography technique has potential for rapid, large area, organized 3-D patterning of silicon (and related) substrates.

In this paper, we report a novel approach for efficient fabrication of mesoscale polymer 3D microstructures. It is implemented by direct laser writing varying exposure beam focusing conditions. By carefully optimizing the fabrication parameters (laser intensity, scanning velocity/exposure time, changing objective lens) complex 3D geometries of the microstructures can be obtained rapidly. Additionally, we demonstrate this without the use of the photoinitiator as photosensitizer doped in the pre-polymer material (SZ2080). At femtosecond pulsed irradiation ~TW/cm² intensities the localized free radical polymerization is achieved via avalanche induced bond braking. Such microstructures have unique biocompatibility and optical transparency as well as optical damage threshold value. By creating the bulk part of the structure using low-NA (0.45) objective and subsequently fabricating the fine features using oil immersion high-NA (1.4) objective the manufacturing time is reduced dramatically (30x is demonstrated). Using this two objective method a prototype of functional microdevice was produced: 80 and 85 µm diameter microfluidic tubes with the fine filter consisting of 4 µm period grating structure that has 400 nm wide threads, which corresponds to a feature precision aspect ratio of ~200. Therefore, such method has great potential as a polymer fabrication tool for mesoscale optical, photonic and biomedical applications as well as highly integrated 3D µ-systems. Furthermore, the proposed approach is not limited to lithography and can be implemented in a more general type of laser writing, such as inscription within transparent materials or substractive manufacturing by ablation.

In order for the EVAHR robot to autonomously track and grasp objects, its vision system must be able to determine the 3-D structure and motion of an object from a sequence of sensory images. This task is accomplished by the use of a laser radar range sensor which provides dense range maps of the scene. Unfortunately, the currently available laser radar range cameras use a sequential scanning approach which complicates image analysis. Although many algorithms have been developed for recognizing objects from range images, none are suited for use with single beam, scanning, time-of-flight sensors because all previous algorithms assume instantaneous acquisition of the entire image. This assumption is invalid since the EVAHR robot is equipped with a sequential scanning laser range sensor. If an object is moving while being imaged by the device, the apparent structure of the object can be significantly distorted due to the significant non-zero delay time between sampling each image pixel. If an estimate of the motion of the object can be determined, this distortion can be eliminated; but, this leads to the motion-structure paradox - most existing algorithms for 3-D motion estimation use the structure of objects to parameterize their motions. The goal of this research is to design a rigid-body motion recovery technique which overcomes this limitation. The method being developed is an iterative, linear, feature-based approach which uses the non-zero image acquisition time constraint to accurately recover the motion parameters from the distorted structure of the 3-D range maps. Once the motion parameters are determined, the structural distortion in the range images is corrected.

Triangulation-based range sensors, e.g. laser line scanners, are used for high-precision geometrical acquisition of free-form surfaces, for reverse engineering tasks or quality management. In contrast to classical tactile measuring devices, these scanners generate a great amount of 3D-points in a short period of time and enable the inspection of soft materials. However, for accurate measurements, a number of aspects have to be considered to minimize measurement uncertainties. This study outlines possible sources of uncertainties during the measurement process regarding the scanner warm-up, the impact of laser power and exposure time as well as scanner’s reaction to areas of discontinuity, e.g. edges. All experiments were performed using a fixed scanner position to avoid effects resulting from imaging geometry. The results show a significant dependence of measurement accuracy on the correct adaption of exposure time as a function of surface reflectivity and laser power. Additionally, it is illustrated that surface structure as well as edges can cause significant systematic uncertainties.

Modern photogrammetry and remote sensing have found small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to be a valuable source of data in various branches of science and industry (e.g., agriculture, cultural heritage). Recently, the growing role of laser scanning in the application of UAVs has also been observed. Laserscanners dedicated to UAVs consist of four basic components: a laserscanner (LiDAR), an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver and an on-board computer. The producers of the system provide users with detailed descriptions of the accuracies separately for each component. However, the final measurement accuracy is not given. This paper reviews state-of-the-art of laserscanners developed specifically for use on a UAV, presenting an overview of several constructions that are available nowadays. The second part of the paper is focussed on analysing the influence of the sensor accuracies on the final measurement accuracy. Mathematical models developed for Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) accuracy analyses are used to estimate the theoretical accuracies of different scanners with conditions typical for UAV missions. Finally, the theoretical results derived from the mathematical simulations are compared with an experimental use case.

Graphitic wires embedded beneath the surface of single crystal diamond are promising for a variety of applications. Through a combination of ultra short (femtosecond) pulsed fabrication, high numerical aperture focusing and adaptive optics, graphitic wires can be written along any 3D path. Here, we demonstrate a non-reciprocal directional dependence to the graphitization process: the features are distinct when the fabrication direction is reversed. The non-reciprocal effects are significantly determined by the laser power, the fabrication speed, the light polarization and pulse front tilt. The influences of these factors are studied.

High-rise buildings subjected to lateral loads such as wind and earthquake loads must be checked not to exceed the limits on the maximum lateral displacement or the maximum inter-story drift ratios. In this paper, a sensing model for deformed shapes of a building structure in motion is presented. The deformed shape sensing model based on a 2D scanner consists of five modules: (1) module for acquiring coordinate information of a point in a building; (2) module for coordinate transformation and data arrangement for generation of time history of the point; (3) module for smoothing by adjacent averaging technique; (4) module for generation of the displacement history for each story and deformed shape of a building, and (5) module for evaluation of the serviceability of a building. The feasibility of the sensing model based on a 2D laserscanner is tested through free vibration tests of a three-story steel frame structure with a relatively high slenderness ratio of 5.0. Free vibration responses measured from both laser displacement sensors and a 2D laserscanner are compared. In the experimentation, the deformed shapes were obtained from three different methods: the model based on the 2D laserscanner, the direct measurement based on laser displacement sensors, and the numerical method using acceleration data and the displacements from GPS. As a result, it is confirmed that the deformed shape measurement model based on a 2D laserscanner can be a promising alternative for high-rise buildings where installation of laser displacement sensors is impossible. PMID:23698269

In this paper we evaluate the use of a laserscanner for future advanced driver assistance systems. We focus on the important task of predicting the target vehicle for longitudinal ego vehicle control. Our motivation is to decrease the reaction time of existing systems during cut-in maneuvers of other traffic participants. A state-of-the-art laserscanner, the Ibeo Scala B2 R , is presented, providing its sensing characteristics and the subsequent high level object data output. We evaluate the performance of the scanner towards object tracking with the help of a GPS real time kinematics system on a test track. Two designed scenarios show phases with constant distance and velocity as well as dynamic motion of the vehicles. We provide the results for the error in position and velocity of the scanner and furthermore, review our algorithm for target vehicle prediction. Finally we show the potential of the laserscanner with the estimated error, that leads to a decrease of up to 40% in reaction time with best conditions.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the influence of outside field of view (FOV) activity concentration (A(c)(,out)) on the noise equivalent count rate (NECR), scatter fraction (SF) and image quality of a 3D LSO whole-body PET/CT scanner. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was the figure of merit used to characterize the image quality of PET scans. A modified International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) phantom was used to obtain SF and counting rates similar to those found in average patients. A scatter phantom was positioned at the end of the modified IEC phantom to simulate an activity that extends beyond the scanner. The modified IEC phantom was filled with (18)F (11 kBq mL(-1)) and the spherical targets, with internal diameter (ID) ranging from 10 to 37 mm, had a target-to-background ratio of 10. PET images were acquired with background activity concentrations into the FOV (A(c)(,bkg)) about 11, 9.2, 6.6, 5.2 and 3.5 kBq mL(-1). The emission scan duration (ESD) was set to 1, 2, 3 and 4 min. The tube inside the scatter phantom was filled with activities to provide A(c)(,out) in the whole scatter phantom of zero, half, unity, twofold and fourfold the one of the modified IEC phantom. Plots of CNR versus the various parameters are provided. Multiple linear regression was employed to study the effects of A(c)(,out) on CNR, adjusted for the presence of variables (sphere ID, A(c)(,bkg) and ESD) related to CNR. The presence of outside FOV activity at the same concentration as the one inside the FOV reduces peak NECR of 30%. The increase in SF is marginal (1.2%). CNR diminishes significantly with increasing outside FOV activity, in the range explored. ESD and A(c)(,out) have a similar weight in accounting for CNR variance. Thus, an experimental law that adjusts the scan duration to the outside FOV activity can be devised. Recovery of CNR loss due to an elevated A(c)(,out) activity seems feasible by modulating the ESD in individual bed positions according to A(c)(,out).

We report the ultrafast fabrication of high-contrast step-index channel waveguides in Nd(3+):YCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) borate laser crystals by means of 3D direct laser writing. Guiding up to 3.4 μm wavelength is demonstrated for the first time in a laser written crystalline waveguide. Modeling the measured fundamental modes at the wavelengths of 1.9 µm and 3.4 µm allowed us to estimate the high laser-induced refractive index increments (index contrasts) to be 0.010 (0.59%), and 0.005 (0.29%), respectively. Confocal µ-Raman spectral imaging of the waveguides cross-sections confirmed that the cores have very well defined step profiles, and that the increase in the refractive index can be linked to the localized creation of permanent intrinsic defects. These results indicate that this crystalline waveguides are a potential candidate for the development of 3D active waveguide circuits, due to the laser and electro-optic properties of rare earth doped borate crystals.

To utilize a time-of-flight-based laserscanner as a distance measurement sensor, the measurable distance and accuracy are the most important performance parameters to consider. For these purposes, the optical system and electronic signal processing of the laserscanner should be optimally designed in order to reduce a distance error caused by the optical crosstalk and wide dynamic range input. Optical system design for removing optical crosstalk problem is proposed in this work. Intensity control is also considered to solve the problem of a phase-shift variation in the signal processing circuit caused by object reflectivity. The experimental results for optical system and signal processing design are performed using 3D measurements.

To utilize a time-of-flight-based laserscanner as a distance measurement sensor, the measurable distance and accuracy are the most important performance parameters to consider. For these purposes, the optical system and electronic signal processing of the laserscanner should be optimally designed in order to reduce a distance error caused by the optical crosstalk and wide dynamic range input. Optical system design for removing optical crosstalk problem is proposed in this work. Intensity control is also considered to solve the problem of a phase-shift variation in the signal processing circuit caused by object reflectivity. The experimental results for optical system and signal processing design are performed using 3D measurements.

A fast, high-sensitivity photothermal microscope was developed by implementing a spatially segmented balanced detection scheme into a laser scanning microscope. We confirmed a 4.9 times improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in the spatially segmented balanced detection compared with that of conventional detection. The system demonstrated simultaneous bi-modal photothermal and confocal fluorescence imaging of transgenic mouse brain tissue with a pixel dwell time of 20 μs. The fluorescence image visualized neurons expressing yellow fluorescence proteins, while the photothermal signal detected endogenous chromophores in the mouse brain, allowing 3D visualization of the distribution of various features such as blood cells and fine structures probably due to lipids. This imaging modality was constructed using compact and cost-effective laser diodes, and will thus be widely useful in the life and medical sciences. PMID:27231615

Photoinitiator-free fabrication of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) scaffolds is achieved using a novel three-dimensional (3D) printing method called mask projected excimer laser stereolithography (MPExSL). The spatial resolution of photoinitiator-free curing is suitable for 3D layer-by-layer fabrication with a single layer thickness well controllable at tens to hundreds of microns using 248 nm wavelength for the irradiation. The photoinitiator-free scaffolds are superior compared to their counterparts fabricated by using photoinitiator molecules, showing a higher level of biocompatibility. A release of toxic chemicals from the photoinitiator containing scaffolds is proven by cell proliferation tests. In contrast, no toxic release is found from the photoinitiator-free scaffolds, resulting in the very same level of cell proliferation as the control sample. The demonstration of photoinitiator-free PEGDA scaffolds enables the fabrication of 3D scaffolds with the highest level of biocompatibility for both in vitro and in vivo applications.

This paper presents a complete analysis of the positional errors of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data based on spherical statistics and 3D graphs. Spherical statistics are preferred because of the 3D vectorial nature of the spatial error. Error vectors have three metric elements (one module and two angles) that were analyzed by spherical statistics. A study case has been presented and discussed in detail. Errors were calculating using 53 check points (CP) and CP coordinates were measured by a digitizer with submillimetre accuracy. The positional accuracy was analyzed by both the conventional method (modular errors analysis) and the proposed method (angular errors analysis) by 3D graphics and numerical spherical statistics. Two packages in R programming language were performed to obtain graphics automatically. The results indicated that the proposed method is advantageous as it offers a more complete analysis of the positional accuracy, such as angular error component, uniformity of the vector distribution, error isotropy, and error, in addition the modular error component by linear statistics. PMID:22163461

Photoinitiator-free fabrication of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) scaffolds is achieved using a novel three-dimensional (3D) printing method called mask projected excimer laser stereolithography (MPExSL). The spatial resolution of photoinitiator-free curing is suitable for 3D layer-by-layer fabrication with a single layer thickness well controllable at tens to hundreds of microns using 248 nm wavelength for the irradiation. The photoinitiator-free scaffolds are superior compared to their counterparts fabricated by using photoinitiator molecules, showing a higher level of biocompatibility. A release of toxic chemicals from the photoinitiator containing scaffolds is proven by cell proliferation tests. In contrast, no toxic release is found from the photoinitiator-free scaffolds, resulting in the very same level of cell proliferation as the control sample. The demonstration of photoinitiator-free PEGDA scaffolds enables the fabrication of 3D scaffolds with the highest level of biocompatibility for both in vitro and in vivo applications.

A multi-photon polymerization system has been designed based on a pulsed irradiation light source (diode-pumped solid state femtosecond laser Yb:KGW, 300 fs, 1030 nm, 1-200 kHz) in combination with large working area and high precision linear motor driven stages (100×100×50 mm3). The system is intended for high resolution and throughput 3D micro- and nanofabrication and enables manufacturing the polymeric templates up to 1 cm2 areas with sub-micrometer resolution. These can be used for producing 3D artificial polymeric scaffolds to be applied for growing cells, specifically, in the tissue engineering. The bio-compatibility of different acrylate, hybrid organic-inorganic and biodegradable polymeric materials is evaluated experimentally in vitro. Variously sized and shaped polymeric scaffolds of biocompatible photopolymers with intricate 3D geometry were successfully fabricated. Proliferation tests for adult rabbit myogenic stem cells have shown the applicability of artificial scaffolds in biomedicine practice.

Today, the civil market provides quite a number of different 3D-Sensors covering ranges up to 1 km. Typically these sensors are based on single element detectors which suffer from the drawback of spatial resolution at larger distances. Tasks demanding reliable object classification at long ranges can be fulfilled only by sensors consisting of detector arrays. They ensure sufficient frame rates and high spatial resolution. Worldwide there are many efforts in developing 3D-detectors, based on two-dimensional arrays. This paper presents first results on the performance of a recently developed 3D imaging laser radar sensor, working in the short wave infrared (SWIR) at 1.5 μm. It consists of a novel Cadmium Mercury Telluride (CMT) linear array APD detector with 384x1 elements at a pitch of 25 μm, developed by AIM Infrarot Module GmbH. The APD elements are designed to work in the linear (non-Geiger) mode. Each pixel will provide the time of flight measurement, and, due to the linear detection mode, allowing the detection of three successive echoes. The resolution in depth is 15 cm, the maximum repetition rate is 4 kHz. We discuss various sensor concepts regarding possible applications and their dependence on system parameters like field of view, frame rate, spatial resolution and range of operation.

When viewed under the microscope, biological tissues reveal an exquisite microarchitecture. These complex patterns arise during development, as cells interact with a multitude of chemical and mechanical cues in the surrounding extracellular matrix. Tissue engineers have sought for decades to repair or replace damaged tissue, often relying on porous scaffolds as an artificial extracellular matrix to support cell development. However, these grafts are unable to recapitulate the complexity of the in vivo environment, limiting our ability to regenerate functional tissue. Biomedical engineers have developed several methods for printing two- and three-dimensional patterns of proteins for studying and directing cell development. Of these methods, laser microprinting of proteins has shown the most promise for printing sub-cellular resolution gradients of cues, but the photochemistry remains too slow to enable large-scale applications for screening and therapeutics In this work, we demonstrate a novel high-speed photochemistry based on multi-photon photobleaching of fluorescein, and we build the fastest 2-D and 3-Dlaser microprinter for proteins to date. First, we show that multiphoton photobleaching of a deoxygenated solution of biotin-4-fluorescein onto a PEG monolayer with acrylate end-group can enable print speeds of almost 20 million pixels per second at 600 nanometer resolution. We discovered that the mechanism of fluorescein photobleaching evolves from a 2-photon to 3- and 4-photon regime at higher laser intensities, unlocking faster printing kinetics. Using this 2-D printing system, we develop a novel triangle-ratchet method for directing the polarization of single hippocampal neurons. This ability to determine which neurite becomes an axon, and which neuritis become dendrites is an essential step for developing defined in vitro neural networks. Next, we modify our multiphoton photobleaching system to print in three dimensions. For the first time, we demonstrate 3

Sandia National Laboratories has recently purchased a Polytec 3D Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer for vibration measurement. This device has proven to be a very nice tool for making vibration measurements, and has a number of advantages over traditional sensors such as accelerometers. The non-contact nature of the laser vibrometer means there is no mass loading due to measuring the response. Additionally, the laser scanning heads can position the laser spot much more quickly and accurately than placing an accelerometer or performing a roving hammer impact. The disadvantage of the system is that a significant amount of time must be invested to align the lasers with each other and the part so that the laser spots can be accurately positioned. The Polytec software includes a number of nice tools to aid in this procedure; however, certain portions are still tedious. Luckily, the Polytec software is readily extensible by programming macros for the system, so tedious portions of the procedure can be made easier by automating the process. The Polytec Software includes a WinWrap (similar to Visual Basic) editor and interface to run macros written in that programming language. The author, however, is much more proficient in Python, and the latter also has a much larger set of libraries that can be used to create very complex macros, while taking advantage of Python’s inherent readability and maintainability.

A proposed optoelectronic system, to be mounted aboard an exploratory robotic vehicle, would be used to generate a three-dimensional (3D) map of nearby terrain and obstacles for purposes of navigating the vehicle across the terrain and avoiding the obstacles. The difference between this system and the other systems would lie in the details of implementation. In this system, the illumination would be provided by a laser. The beam from the laser would pass through a two-dimensional diffraction grating, which would divide the beam into multiple beams propagating in different, fixed, known directions. These beams would form a grid of bright spots on the nearby terrain and obstacles. The centroid of each bright spot in the image would be computed. For each such spot, the combination of (1) the centroid, (2) the known direction of the light beam that produced the spot, and (3) the known baseline would constitute sufficient information for calculating the 3D position of the spot.

Laser printing is an orifice-free printing approach and has been investigated for the printing of two-dimensional patterns and simple three-dimensional (3D) constructs. To demonstrate the potential of laser printing as an effective bioprinting technique, both straight and Y-shaped tubes have been freeform printed using two different bioinks: 8% alginate solution and 2% alginate-based mouse fibroblast suspension. It has been demonstrated that 3D cellular tubes, including constructs with bifurcated overhang structures, can be adequately fabricated under optimal printing conditions. The post-printing cell viabilities immediately after printing as well as after 24 h incubation are above 60% for printed straight and Y-shaped fibroblast tubes. During fabrication, overhang and spanning structures can be printed using a dual-purpose crosslinking solution, which also functions as a support material. The advancement distance of gelation reaction front after a cycle time of the receiving platform downward motion should be estimated for experimental planning. The optimal downward movement step size of receiving platform should be chosen to be equal to the height of ungelled portion of a previously printed layer.

A high resolution Amplitude Modulation Laser Radar (AM-LR) sensor has recently been developed, aimed at accurately reconstructing 3D digital models of real targets -- either single objects or complex scenes. The sensor sounding beam can be swept linearly across the object or circularly around it, by placing the object on a controlled rotation platform. Both intensity and phase shift of the back-scattered light are then collected and processed, providing respectively a shade-free photographic-like picture and accurate range data in the form of a range or depth image, with resolution depending mainly on the laser modulation frequency. Starting from the sample points, with an uncertainty that can be made as small as 100 μm, the complete object surface can be reconstructed by using specifically developed software tools. The system has been successfully applied to scan different types of real surfaces (stone, wood, bones) and is expected to have significant applications in industrial machining, artwork cataloguing and medical diagnostics. Examples of 3D reconstructions are presented and the relevance of this technology for reverse engineering applied to artwork restoration and conservation is briefly discussed.

Modeling laser-plasma interaction (LPI) processes in real-size experiments scale is recognized as a challenging task. For explorering the influence of various instabilities in LPI processes, a three-dimensional laser and plasma code (LAP3D) has been developed, which includes filamentation, stimulated Brillouin backscattering (SBS), stimulated Raman backscattering (SRS), non-local heat transport and plasmas flow computation modules. In this program, a second-order upwind scheme is applied to solve the plasma equations which are represented by an Euler fluid model. Operator splitting method is used for solving the equations of the light wave propagation, where the Fast Fourier translation (FFT) is applied to compute the diffraction operator and the coordinate translations is used to solve the acoustic wave equation. The coupled terms of the different physics processes are computed by the second-order interpolations algorithm. In order to simulate the LPI processes in massively parallel computers well, several parallel techniques are used, such as the coupled parallel algorithm of FFT and fluid numerical computation, the load balance algorithm, and the data transfer algorithm. Now the phenomena of filamentation, SBS and SRS have been studied in low-density plasma successfully with LAP3D. Scalability of the program is demonstrated with a parallel efficiency above 50% on about ten thousand of processors.

Mapping and characterization of the three-dimensional nature of vegetation is increasingly gaining in importance. Deeper insight is required for e.g. forest management, biodiversity assessment, habitat analysis, precision agriculture, renewable energy production or the analysis of interaction between biosphere and atmosphere. However the potential of 3D vegetation characterization has not been exploited so far and new technologies are needed. Laser scanning has evolved into the state-of-the-art technology for highly accurate 3D data acquisition. By now several studies indicated a high value of 3D vegetation description by using laser data. The laser sensors provide a detailed geometric presentation (geometric information) of scanned objects as well as a full profile of laser energy that was scattered back to the sensor (radiometric information). In order to exploit the full potential of these datasets, profound knowledge on laser scanning technology for data acquisition, geoinformation technology for data analysis and object of interest (e.g. vegetation) for data interpretation have to be joined. A signature database is a collection of signatures of reference vegetation objects acquired under known conditions and sensor parameters and can be used to improve information extraction from unclassified vegetation datasets. Different vegetation elements (leaves, branches, etc.) at different heights above ground with different geometric composition contribute to the overall description (i.e. signature) of the scanned object. The developed tools allow analyzing tree objects according to single features (e.g. echo width and signal amplitude) and to any relation of features and derived statistical values (e.g. ratio of laser point attributes). For example, a single backscatter cross section value does not allow for tree species determination, whereas the average echo width per tree segment can give good estimates. Statistical values and/or distributions (e.g. Gaussian

3D integration of microcomponents in a single glass chip by femtosecond laser direct writing followed by post annealing and successive wet etching is described for application to biochemical analysis. Integration of microfluidics and microoptics realized some functional microdevices like a μ-fluidic dye laser and a biosensor. As one of practical applications, we demonstrate inspection of living microorganisms using the microchip with 3D microfluidic structures fabricated by the present technique.

Rockfalls and other types of landslides are the dominant processes causing a retreat of sea cliffs. The coastal areas constitute an important tourist attraction and a large number of people rest beneath the cliffs on a daily basis, considerably increasing the risk associated to rockfalls. We present an approach to assess rockfall susceptibility at the cliff scale based on terrestrial laserscanner (TLS) point clouds. The test area is a coastal cliff situated in the southern part of the Cilento (Centola Municipality, Campania Region), in which a natural arch was formed. This cliff is constituted by heavy fractured carbonate rock mass with a strong structural control. In June 2015 TLS data were acquired with long-range scanner RIEGL VZ1000®. The structural analysis of the cliff was performed in the field and using Coltop 3D software on the point cloud. As a result, 10 discontinuity sets (joint, faults and bedding planes) were individuated and the different characteristics such as orientation, spacing and persistence were measured. The kinematically unstable areas were highlighted using a script that computes an index of susceptibility to rockfalls based on the spatial distribution of failure mechanisms. The susceptibility index computation is based on the average surface that every joint set (or combinations of two joint sets in the case of wedge failure) forms on the topography according to its spacing, trace length, and incidence angle. This susceptibility index also depends on the steepness of the joint set (or of the intersection line in the case of wedge failure). As a result the most important discontinuity sets in terms of potential planar failure, wedge failure and toppling were individuated and an assessment of rockfall susceptibility at the cliff scale was achieved. Results show that the kinematically feasible failures are not equally distributed along the cliff but concentrated on certain areas. The most susceptible areas for planar failure are related to

The reproducibility of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) quantification results, obtained with MRSI, was determined on a 3 T MR scanner in healthy adults. In this study, a spiral-encoded, GABA-edited, MEGA-LASER MRSI sequence with real-time motion-scanner-instability corrections was applied for robust 3D mapping of neurotransmitters in the brain. In particular, the GABA(+) (i.e. GABA plus macromolecule contamination) and Glx (i.e. glutamate plus glutamine contamination) signal was measured. This sequence enables 3D-MRSI with about 3 cm(3) nominal resolution in about 20 min. Since reliable quantification of GABA is challenging, the spatial distribution of the inter-subject and intra-subject variability of GABA(+) and Glx levels was studied via test-retest assessment in 14 healthy volunteers (seven men-seven women). For both inter-subject and intra-subject repeated measurement sessions a low coefficient of variation (CV) and a high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were found for GABA(+) and Glx ratios across all evaluated voxels (intra-/inter-subject: GABA(+) ratios, CV ~ 8%-ICC > 0.75; Glx ratios, CV ~ 6%-ICC > 0.70). The same was found in selected brain regions for Glx ratios versus GABA(+) ratios (CV varied from about 5% versus about 8% in occipital and parietal regions, to about 8% versus about 10% in the frontal area, thalamus, and basal ganglia). These results provide evidence that 3D mapping of GABA(+) and Glx using the described methodology provides high reproducibility for application in clinical and neuroscientific studies.

This paper describes an innovative excimer laser fabrication approach for profiling optimally smooth airflow contours. The research merit of the process is its use in producing a new type of electrical transducer micro-turbine using a novel axial format. The necessary micro-machining precision for this was achieved by computer-controlling a laser beam using an elevating stage to step a moving mask across a fixed mask, i.e. a variant of dynamic mask-dragging or mask-aperturing. The moving mask image was projected on to a series of flat 600 μm wide, 1000 μm deep preform surfaces, reducing each to 50 μm thickness with curvature. Precise control of each mask increment to ablation depth and focus allowed a range of 3-D curves to be realized. The ablation rate versus surface quality was optimized throughout by ablating just 300 nm per laser pulse and using 2000 pulses spread over 90 sites. The process represents a cost effective means of using basic masks to continuously shape flat surfaces in the axial direction with high aspect ratios, high speed and precision, and is applicable to both micro streamlining and the manufacture of micro expansion nozzles.

The present paper describes the application of Kansei Engineering to the physical design of engineering products as well as its realization by laser sintering. We have investigated the affective information that might be included in three-dimensional objects such as a ceramic bowl for the tea ceremony. First, an X-ray CT apparatus is utilized to retrieve surface data from the teabowl, and then a frequency analysis is carried out after noise has been filtered. The surface fluctuation is characterized by a power spectrum that is in inverse proportion to the wave number f in circumference. Second, we consider how to realize the surface with a 1/f fluctuation on a computer screen using a 3D CAD model. The fluctuation is applied to a reference shape assuming that the outer surface has a spiral flow line on which unevenness is superimposed. Finally, the selective laser sintering method has been applied to the fabrication of 1/f fluctuation objects. Nylon powder is sintered layer by layer using a CO2 laser to form an artificial teabowl with complicated surface contours.

High-speed surface profile measurement with high precision is crucial for target inspection and quality control. In this study, a laserscanner based on a single point laser triangulation displacement sensor and a high-speed rotating polygon mirror is proposed. The autosynchronized scanning scheme is introduced to alleviate the trade-off between the field of view and the range precision, which is the inherent deficiency of the conventional triangulation. The lateral synchronized flying spot technology has excellent characteristics, such as programmable and larger field of view, high immunity to ambient light or secondary reflections, high optical signal-to-noise ratio, and minimum shadow effect. Owing to automatic point-to-point laser power control, high accuracy and superior data quality are possible when measuring objects featuring varying surface characteristics even in demanding applications. The proposed laser triangulation scanner is validated using a laboratory-built prototype and practical considerations for design and implementation of the system are described, including speckle noise reduction method and real-time signal processing. A method for rapid and accurate calibration of the laser triangulation scanner using lookup tables is also devised, and the system calibration accuracy is generally smaller than ±0.025 mm. Experimental results are presented and show a broad application prospect for fast surface profile precision measurement.

This paper introduces a laserscanner based measurement system for measuring crop/tree geometric characteristics. The measurement system, which is mounted on a Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), contains a SICK LMS511 PRO laserscanner, a GPS, and a computer. The LMS511 PRO scans objects within distance up to 80 meters with a scanning frequency of 25 up to 100Hz and with an angular resolution of 0.1667° up to 1°. With an Ethernet connection, this scanner can output the measured values in real time. The UGV is a WIFI based remotely controlled agricultural robotics system. During field tests, the laserscanner was mounted on the UGV vertically to scan crops or trees. The UGV moved along the row direction with certain average travel speed. The experimental results show that the UGV's travel speed significantly affects the measurement accuracy. A slower speed produces more accurate measuring results. With the developed measurement system, crop/tree canopy height, width, and volume can be accurately measured in a real-time manner. With a higher spatial resolution, the original data set may even provide useful information in predicting crop/tree growth and productivity. In summary, the UGV based measurement system developed in this research can measure the crop/tree geometric characteristics with good accuracy and will work as a step stone for our future UGV based intelligent agriculture system, which will include variable rate spray and crop/tree growth and productivity prediction through analyzing the measured results of the laserscanner system.

Chitosans with various degrees of deacetylation and molecular weights and their allyl substituted derivatives were obtained through a solvent-free reaction under shear deformation in an extruder. Structure and physical-chemical analysis of the samples were carried out using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet (UV) and infrared radiation (IR) spectroscopy. Photosensitive materials based on the synthesized polymers were successfully used for microfabrication of 3D well-defined architectonic structures by laser stereolithography. Study on the metabolic activity of NCTC L929 cultured in the presence of the cured chitosan extracts indicates that the engineered biomaterials could support adhesion, spreading and growth of adherent-dependent cells, and thus could be considered as biocompatible scaffolds.

The paper describes the development and validation of a 3-D measurement instrument capable of determining the static and dynamic performance of industrial robots to ISO standards. Using two laser beams to track an optical target attached to the robot end-effector, the target position coordinates may be estimated, relative to the instrument coordinate frame, to a high accuracy using triangulation principles. The effect of variations in the instrument geometry from the nominal model is evaluated through a kinematic model of the tracking head. Significant improvements of the measurement accuracy are then obtained by a simple adjustment of the main parameters. Extensive experimental test results are included to demonstrate the instrument performance. Finally typical static and dynamic measurement results for an industrial robot are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and usefulness of the instrument.

Perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets were studied as new generation ultrasound contrast agents via acoustic or optical droplet vaporization (ADV or ODV). Little is known about the ODV irradiated vaporization mechanisms of PFC-microparticle complexs and the stability of the new bubbles produced. In this study, fluorescent perfluorohexane (PFH) poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles were used as a model to study the process of particle vaporization and bubble stability following excitation in two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cell models. We observed localization of the fluorescent agent on the microparticle coating material initially and after vaporization under fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the stability and growth dynamics of the newly created bubbles were observed for 11 min following vaporization. The particles were co-cultured with 2-D cells to form 3-D spheroids and could be vaporized even when encapsulated within the spheroids via laser irradiation, which provides an effective basis for further work. PMID:28262671

We report on the use of femtosecond laser irradiation followed by chemical etching as a microfabrication tool for innovative microfluidic networks that implement hydrodynamic focusing. The capability of our microfabrication technology to interconnect microchannels in three dimensions was exploited to demonstrate 2D hydrodynamic focusing, either in the horizontal or in the vertical plane, and full 3D hydrodynamic focusing. In all cases only two inlets were required, one for the sample and one for the sheath flows. Fluidic characterization of all devices was provided. In addition, taking advantage of the possibility to write optical waveguides using the same technology, a monolithic cell counter based on 3D hydrodynamic focusing and integrated optical detection was validated. Counting rates up to 5000 cells s(-1) were achieved in this very compact device, where focusing and counting operations were implemented in less than 1 mm(3). Integration of this hydrodynamic focusing module into several devices fabricated by the same technology as optical cell stretchers and cell sorters is envisaged.

Nanomaterials represent a rapidly expanding area of research with huge potential for future medical applications. Nanotechnology indeed promises to revolutionize diagnostics, drug delivery, gene therapy, and many other areas of research. For any biological investigation involving nanomaterials, it is crucial to study the behavior of such nano-objects within tissues to evaluate both their efficacy and their toxicity. Here, we provide the first account of 3D label-free nanoparticle imaging at the entire-organ scale. The technology used is known as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and possesses several advantages such as speed of operation, ease of use and full compatibility with optical microscopy. We then used two different but complementary approaches to achieve 3D elemental imaging with LIBS: a volume reconstruction of a sliced organ and in-depth analysis. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the quantitative imaging of both endogenous and exogenous elements within entire organs and paves the way for innumerable applications. PMID:27435424

The diatoms are ubiquitous, exist in large numbers and show a great diversity of features on their porous silica structures. Therefore, they inspire the fabrication of nanostructured templates for nanoimprint processes (NIL), where large structured areas with nanometer precision are required. In this study, two approaches regarding the respective challenges and potential exploitations are followed and discussed: the first one takes advantage of a template that is directly made of natural occurring diatoms. Here, two replication steps via soft lithography are needed to obtain a template which is subsequently used for NIL. The second approach exploits the technical capabilities of the precise 3Dlaser lithography (3DLL) based on two-photon polymerization of organic materials. This method enables the fabrication of arbitrary artificial diatom-inspired micro- and nanostructures and the design of an inverse structure. Therefore, only one replication step is needed to obtain a template for NIL. In both approaches, a replication technique for true 3D structures is shown.

Besides extensive data about the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on different cell types, so far, these results were obtained from monolayer cell culture models, which have limitations in terms of cell morphology and phenotype expression. Therefore, for better in vitro evaluation of the effects of LLLT, this study was performed with a 3D cell culture model, where gingival fibroblasts were seeded in collagen matrix. Cells isolated from a healthy patient were seeded in wells of 24-well plates with culture medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum and collagen type I solution. After 5 days, a serum-free DMEM was added to the matrices with cells that were subjected or not to three consecutive irradiations of LLLT by means of the LaserTABLE diode device (780 nm, 25 mW) at 0.5, 1.5, and 3 J/cm(2). Twenty-four hours after the last irradiation, cell viability and morphology as well as gene expression of growth factors were assessed. Histological evaluation of matrices demonstrated uniform distribution and morphology of gingival fibroblasts within the collagen matrix. LLLT at 3 J/cm(2) increased gingival fibroblast viability. Enhanced gene expression of hCOL-I and hEGF was observed for 0.5 J/cm(2), while no significant changes were detected for the other irradiation densities tested. In conclusion, LLLT promoted biostimulation of gingival fibroblasts seeded in a 3D cell culture model, demonstrating that this model can be applied for phototherapy studies and that LLLT could penetrate the collagen matrix to increase cell functions related to tissue repair.

A high resolution Amplitude Modulated Laser Radar (AM-LR) sensor has recently been developed, aimed at accurately reconstructing 3D digital models of real targets, either single objects or complex scenes. The sensor sounding beam can be swept linearly across the object or circularly around it, by placing the object on a controlled rotating platform, enabling to obtain respectively linear and cylindrical range maps. Both amplitude and phase shift of the modulating wave of back-scattered light are collected and processed, providing respectively a shade-free, high resolution, photographic-like picture and accurate range data in the form of a range image. The resolution of range measurements depends mainly on the laser modulation frequency, provided that the power of the backscattered light reaching the detector is at least a few nW (current best performances are ~100 μm). The complete object surface can be reconstructed from the sampled points by using specifically developed software tools. The system has been successfully applied to scan different types of real surfaces (stone, wood, alloys, bones), with relevant applications in different fields, ranging from industrial machining to medical diagnostics, to vision in hostile environments. Examples of artwork reconstructed models (pottery, marble statues) are presented and the relevance of this technology for reverse engineering applied to cultural heritage conservation and restoration are discussed. Final 3D models can be passed to numeric control machines for rapid-prototyping, exported in standard formats for CAD/CAM purposes and made available on the Internet by adopting a virtual museum paradigm, thus possibly enabling specialists to perform remote inspections on high resolution digital reproductions of hardly accessible masterpieces.

Human brain material was studied with Lucifer yellow (LY) microinjections, indirect Texas red immunofluorescence, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The scanned images were transferred to a Silicon Graphics (SG) IRIS computer equipped with software for reconstructing the 3-D architecture of cells. By employing dual channel CLSM (Bio-Rad MRC 600), LY-injected cells and Texas red immunofluorescence could be studied simultaneously. Autopsy material with 2- to 48-h postmortem delays (6 control and 2 Rett's syndrome cases) as well as biopsy material (14 cases with therapy-resistant partial epilepsy--TRPE--undergoing neurosurgery) were used. In each specimen, 100-200 pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons were visualized by LY microinjection. Single neurons were imaged and 2-D reconstructions of each neuron were made using z-projections of serial optical images; 3-D reconstructions and rotations were computed using the SG workstation, with VoxelView software from Vital Images (UK), and stored in a "neuronal library" on laser or magnetic optical disks. In Ret's syndrome cases and in patients with TRPE various abnormalities in the dendritic geometry of pyramidal and nonpyramidal cells have been found. The combination of LY injections with immunofluorescence allows the investigation of transmitter-related substances around the LY-injected cells. Using antibodies to synaptic vesicle proteins, presynaptic elements docking onto individual spines have been demonstrated. This approach may contribute to the understanding of different neurological and psychiatric disorders and may be useful in the Mapping of the Human Brain project. It may also be integrated with functional imaging by PET scan and with the human genome project.

The determination of line crossing sequences between rollerball pens and laser printers presents difficulties that may not be overcome using traditional techniques. This research aimed to study the potential of digital microscopy and 3-Dlaser profilometry to determine line crossing sequences between a toner and an aqueous ink line. Different paper types, rollerball pens, and writing pressure were tested. Correct opinions of the sequence were given for all case scenarios, using both techniques. When the toner was printed before the ink, a light reflection was observed in all crossing specimens, while this was never observed in the other sequence types. The 3-Dlaser profilometry, more time-consuming, presented the main advantage of providing quantitative results. The findings confirm the potential of the 3-Dlaser profilometry and demonstrate the efficiency of digital microscopy as a new technique for determining the sequence of line crossings involving rollerball pen ink and toner.

The increasing need for long-life lithium-ion batteries requires the further development of electrode materials. Especially on the cathode side new materials or material composites are needed to increase the cycle lifetime. On the one hand, spinel-type lithium manganese oxide is a promising candidate to be used as cathode material due to its non-toxicity, low cost and good thermal stability. On the other hand, the spinel structure suffers from change in the oxidation state of manganese during cycling which is also accompanied by loss of active material into the liquid electrolyte. The general trend is to enhance the active surface area of the cathode in order to increase lithium-ion mobility through the electrode/electrolyte interface, while an enhanced surface area will also promote chemical degradation. In this work, laser microstructuring of lithium manganese oxide thin films was applied in a first step to increase the active surface area. This was done by using 248 nm excimer laser radiation and chromium/quartz mask imaging techniques. In a second step, high power diode laser-annealing operating at a wavelength of 940 nm was used for forming a cubic spinel-like battery phase. This was verified by means of Raman spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetric measurements. In a last step, the laser patterned thin films were coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) layers with a thickness of 10 nm to 50 nm. The influence of the 3D surface topography as well as the ITO thickness on the electrochemical performance was studied by cyclic voltammetry. Post-mortem studies were carried out by using scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam analysis.

In this paper, 3 types of laser beam scanner are introduced. One is transmissive beam scanner, which is composed of convex and concave microlens arrays (MLAs). By moving the concave lens in the plane vertical to the optical axis, the incident beam can be deflected in two dimensions. Those two kinds of MLAs are fabricated by thermal reflow and replication process. A set of mechanical scanner frame is fabricated with the two MLAs assembling in it. The testing result shown that the beam deflection angles are 9.5° and 9.6°, in the 2 dimension(2D) with the scanning frequency of 2 HZ and 8 HZ, respectively. The second type of laser beam scanner is actuated by voice coil actuators (VCAs). Based on ANSOFT MAXWELL software, we have designed VCAs with small size and large force which have optimized properties. The model of VCAs is built using AutoCAD and is analyzed by Ansoft maxwell. According to the simulation results, high performance VCAs are fabricated and tested. The result is that the force of the VCAs is 6.39N/A, and the displacement is +/-2.5mm. A set up of beam scanner is fabricated and actuated by the designed VCAs. The testing result shown that the two dimensional scanning angle is 15° and 10° respectively at the frequency of 60HZ. The two dimensional scanning angle is 8.3° and 6° respectively at the frequency of 100HZ. The third type of scanner is actuated by amplified piezoelectric actuators (APAs). The scanning mirror is actuated by the piezoelectric (PZ) actuators with the scanning frequency of 700HZ, 250HZ and 87HZ respectively. The optical scanning angle is +/-0.5° at the three frequencies.

The resulting form for U(z) is elliptical in shape: U(z) = &nf(a) cot2a^a2 sin2a - z2 for |z|<|ösina| . (21) This result is intuitive because...the range-resolved laser radar cross section of a disk is proportional to the length of the straight-line integration path, which varies elliptically ...autocorrelation functions of real quantities are even functions, the replicated U(z) curves on either side of the origin are mirror images of each other. If the

Laserscanners are often used to create accurate 3D models of buildings for civil engineering purposes, but the process of manually vectorizing a 3D point cloud is time consuming and error-prone (Adan and Huber, 2011). Therefore, the need to characterize and quantify complex environments in an automatic fashion arises, posing challenges for data analysis. This paper presents a system for 3D modeling by detecting planes in 3D point clouds, based on which the scene is reconstructed at a high architectural level through removing automatically clutter and foreground data. The implemented software detects openings, such as windows and doors and completes the 3D model by inpainting.

Over Underbreak detection of road and solve the problemof the roadway data collection difficulties, this paper presents a new method of continuous section extraction and Over Underbreak detection of road based on 3Dlaser scanning technology and image processing, the method is divided into the following three steps: based on Canny edge detection, local axis fitting, continuous extraction section and Over Underbreak detection of section. First, after Canny edge detection, take the least-squares curve fitting method to achieve partial fitting in axis. Then adjust the attitude of local roadway that makes the axis of the roadway be consistent with the direction of the extraction reference, and extract section along the reference direction. Finally, we compare the actual cross-sectional view and the cross-sectional design to complete Overbreak detected. Experimental results show that the proposed method have a great advantage in computing costs and ensure cross-section orthogonal intercept terms compared with traditional detection methods.

Three-dimensional (3D) periodic nanostructures underpin a promising research direction on the frontiers of nanoscience and technology to generate advanced materials for exploiting novel photonic crystal (PC) and nanofluidic functionalities. However, formation of uniform and defect-free 3D periodic structures over large areas that can further integrate into multifunctional devices has remained a major challenge. Here, we introduce a laser scanning holographic method for 3D exposure in thick photoresist that combines the unique advantages of large area 3D holographic interference lithography (HIL) with the flexible patterning of laser direct writing to form both micro- and nano-structures in a single exposure step. Phase mask interference patterns accumulated over multiple overlapping scans are shown to stitch seamlessly and form uniform 3D nanostructure with beam size scaled to small 200 μm diameter. In this way, laser scanning is presented as a facile means to embed 3D PC structure within microfluidic channels for integration into an optofluidic lab-on-chip, demonstrating a new laser HIL writing approach for creating multi-scale integrated microsystems.

Three-dimensional (3D) periodic nanostructures underpin a promising research direction on the frontiers of nanoscience and technology to generate advanced materials for exploiting novel photonic crystal (PC) and nanofluidic functionalities. However, formation of uniform and defect-free 3D periodic structures over large areas that can further integrate into multifunctional devices has remained a major challenge. Here, we introduce a laser scanning holographic method for 3D exposure in thick photoresist that combines the unique advantages of large area 3D holographic interference lithography (HIL) with the flexible patterning of laser direct writing to form both micro- and nano-structures in a single exposure step. Phase mask interference patterns accumulated over multiple overlapping scans are shown to stitch seamlessly and form uniform 3D nanostructure with beam size scaled to small 200 μm diameter. In this way, laser scanning is presented as a facile means to embed 3D PC structure within microfluidic channels for integration into an optofluidic lab-on-chip, demonstrating a new laser HIL writing approach for creating multi-scale integrated microsystems.

Three-dimensional (3D) periodic nanostructures underpin a promising research direction on the frontiers of nanoscience and technology to generate advanced materials for exploiting novel photonic crystal (PC) and nanofluidic functionalities. However, formation of uniform and defect-free 3D periodic structures over large areas that can further integrate into multifunctional devices has remained a major challenge. Here, we introduce a laser scanning holographic method for 3D exposure in thick photoresist that combines the unique advantages of large area 3D holographic interference lithography (HIL) with the flexible patterning of laser direct writing to form both micro- and nano-structures in a single exposure step. Phase mask interference patterns accumulated over multiple overlapping scans are shown to stitch seamlessly and form uniform 3D nanostructure with beam size scaled to small 200 μm diameter. In this way, laser scanning is presented as a facile means to embed 3D PC structure within microfluidic channels for integration into an optofluidic lab-on-chip, demonstrating a new laser HIL writing approach for creating multi-scale integrated microsystems. PMID:26922872

Laser hardening is becoming a consolidated process in different industrial sectors such as the automotive industry or in the die and mold industry. The key to ensure the success in this process is to control the surface temperature and the hardened layer thickness. Furthermore, the development of reliable scanners, based on moving optics for guiding high power lasers at extremely fast speeds allows the rapid motion of laser spots, resulting on tailored shapes of swept areas by the laser. If a scanner is used to sweep a determined area, the laser energy density distribution can be adapted by varying parameters such us the scanning speed or laser power inside this area. Despite its advantages in terms of versatility, the use of scanners for the laser hardening process has not yet been introduced in the thermal hardening industry because of the difficulty of the temperature control and possible non-homogeneous hardness thickness layers. In the present work the laser hardening process with scanning optics applied to AISI 1045 steel has been studied, with special emphasis on the influence of the scanning speed and the results derived from its variation, the evolution of the hardened layer thickness and different strategies for the control of the process temperature. For this purpose, the hardened material has been studied by measuring microhardness at different points and the shape of the hardened layer has also been evaluated. All tests have been performed using an experimental setup designed to keep a nominal temperature value using a closed-loop control. The tests results show two different regimes depending on the scanning speed and feed rate values. The experimental results conclusions have been validated by means of thermal simulations at different conditions.

The forest sciences as well as other areas of knowledge benefit from technological advances to develop their working methods and increase their knowledge of their specific field of study. New equipment and methods are continually developed to support these applications. In the last decade, laser scanning and profiling systems have been consolidated as one of the most effective technologies for geospatial data acquisition. Based on the time-of-flight and with an electromagnetic spectrum that ranges into the mid-infrared, 1535 nm, the terrestrial laser systems are appropriate for correlating the intensity data with physicochemical properties. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the distance to the target in the data acquisition intensity targets forest in order to support future studies of correlation between this variable and the physicochemical characteristics of the targets. In this study we used the Terrestrial LaserScanner3D Ilris with Optech operating principle based on flight time and wavelength of 1535 nm spectral range from infrared magnetic medium. The data acquisition targets intensity was assessed at distances (1 m à 50 m) by using a target reference of 99% reflectance. The results were analysed and showed that the distance interferes with the return of intensity. From the results of this research recommend that the intensity data are calibrated in relation to distance before using them as a source for study of the physical-chemical characteristics of the targets.

Studying the plasma dynamics in the presence of extreme laser fields requires taking into account physics beyond classical electrodynamics. Pair production seeded by an electron has a lowest threshold among the first quantum mechanisms that appear as the intensity increases, which makes it relevant for the future experiments planned at ELI and other facilities. We have included the two-step pair production process (non linear Compton scattering + Breit-Wheeler) in a massively parallel PIC code (Osiris 2.0 framework) via a Monte Carlo module. With this approach, we take self-consistently into account the interaction of the intense fields with the generated pair plasma. We have also developed a macroparticle merging algorithm that reduces the number of macroparticles in the simulations, while conserving local particle distributions. This algorithm is crucial for simulating scenarios where a large number of pairs are being created, such as QED cascades. We present 2D and 3D PIC-QED study of pair cascades induced with multiple laser pulses. The polarization dependence is discussed, together with the properties of the emitted radiation and experimental signatures. Supported by PRACE and ERC-2010-AdG Grant 267841.

A low-cost optical microscope was developed and coupled to an irradiation system in order to study the induced effects on material during a multipulse regime by an in situ visual inspection of the surface, in particular of the spot generated at different pulses. In the case of laser ablation, a reconstruction of the crater in 3D was made from the images of the sample surface taken during the irradiation process, and the subsequent profiles of ablated material were extracted. The implementation of this homemade optical device gives an added value to the irradiation system, providing information about morphology evolution of irradiated area when successive pulses are applied. In particular, the determination of ablation rates in real time can be especially useful for a better understanding and controlling of the ablation process in applications where removal of material is involved, such as laser cleaning and in-depth characterization of multilayered samples and diffusion processes. The validation of the developed microscope was made by a comparison with a commercial confocal microscope configured for the characterization of materials where similar results of crater depth and diameter were obtained for both systems.

Relatively new method of producing 3D objects with Functionally Graded Material (FGM) structure is realized by coaxial powder injection with variable composition into the zone of laser beam action. The desired 3-dimensional material distribution is realized by repetitive deposition process. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show essential role of radiation mode and powder granularity as optimization parameters. Applied laser sources are continuous wave Nd:YAG(HAAS 2006D, 2kW), pulse-periodic Nd:YAG(HAAS HL304P, avg. power 300 W), quazi-cw CO2 (Rofin-Sinar, 300 W). Among applied materials are nanostructured WC/Co, CuSn, Stainless steel 316L, 430L, Co-base alloy, nanostructured FeCu, etc. The originality of obtained results is that different gradient types are produced "in situ" and combined within one sample: smooth, sharp or multilayered gradients. The number of samples is produced and examined with metallographical and SEM analysis. The minimal spatial gradient resolution (transition zone between two different materials) is starting from 10 microns and can be varied in a wide range; the surface roughness depends from powder granularity, best value of Ra is about 5 μm, microhardness of differet zones of samples is varied from 120 to 450 HV. The achieved geometry spatial resolution is 200 μm.

Functional optical and electrical elements fabricated on silicon (Si) constitute fundamental building blocks of electronics and Si-photonics. However, since the highly successful established lithography are geared towards surface processing, elements embedded inside Si simply do not exist. Here, we present a novel direct-laser writing method for positioning buried functional elements inside Si wafers. This new phenomenon is distinct from previous work, in that the surface of Si is not modified. By exploiting nonlinear interactions of a focused laser, permanent refractive index changes are induced inside Si. The imprinted index contrast is then used to demonstrate a plethora of functional elements and capabilities embedded inside Si. In particular, we demonstrate the first functional optical element inside Si, the first information-storage capability inside Si, creation of high-resolution subsurface holograms, buried multilevel structures, and complex 3D architectures in Si, none of which is currently possible with other methods. This new approach complements available techniques by taking advantage of the real estate under Si, and therefore can pave the way for creating entirely new multilevel devices through electronic-photonic integration.

In this paper, we show the feasibility and the benefit to use a Geiger-mode Avalanche Photo-Diode (GmAPD) array for long range detection, up to several kilometers. A simulation of a Geiger detection sensor is described, which is a part of our end-to-end laser simulator, to generate simulated 3Dlaser images from synthetic scenes. Resulting 3D point clouds have been compared to experimental acquisitions, performed with our GmAPD 3D camera on similar scenarios. An operational case of long range detection is presented: a copper cable outstretched above the ground, 1 kilometer away the experimental system and with a horizontal line-of-sight (LOS). The detection of such a small object from long distance observation strongly suggests that GmAPD focal plane arrays could be easily used for real-time 3D mapping or surveillance applications from airborne platforms, with good spatial and temporal resolutions.

An optical set-up for intraoral data acquisition based on the principle of laser triangulation was developed. The system consists of a pig-tailed laser with line generating optics, a stepping motor driven positioning stage, a commercial CCD (charge coupled device) camera system with frame grabber interface, a control personal computer and a mirror system compensating for the fact that there is no possibility of watching an object directly in the mouth under a certain angle except from a facial position during intraoral scanning. Due to the size of the prototype measurements were still restricted to plaster casts. In order to evaluate its accuracy, the measurements were compared with those taken with a commercial laserscanner and a coordinate measurement table. The accuracy of the prototype scanner was determined to be DeltaXYZ=0.04 mm using gauge blocks of given dimensions and proved to range between the commercial laserscanner and the coordinate measurement table (i.e., it was slightly better than that of the commercial scanner). Applications in orthodontics were demonstrated by scanning plaster casts and measuring distances on reconstructed surfaces. The measured distances showed a maximum deviation of about +/-0.2 mm compared with the data of the coordinate measurement table, which served as a reference. In addition, reconstruction of three-dimensional tooth movements was performed on the scan data. The translational and rotational parameters gained from the superimposition of scanned point clouds and describing tooth movement were also in good accordance with the reference. The achieved accuracy proved to be sufficient for further development which should include a reduction in size and the use of more precise device components.

The theory and operation of the scanner portion of the laser Doppler system for detecting and monitoring aircraft trailing vortices in an airport environment are discussed. Schematics, wiring diagrams, component values, and operation and checkout procedures are included.

This paper describes a method to reconstruct the 3D shape of the melt pool and the capillary of a laser keyhole welding process. Three different diagnostic methods, including X-Ray and optical videography as well as metallographic cross sections are combined to gain the three dimensional data of the solidus-liquidus-surface. A detailed description of the experimental setup and a discussion of different methods to combine the 2D data sets of the three different diagnostic methods to a 3D-model will be given. The result will be a static 3D description of the welding process.

A laserscanner for imaging electrophoretic gels was constructed and tested. The scanner incorporates a green helium-neon (HeNe) laser (543.5nm wavelength) and can achieve a spatial resolution of 19{micro}m. The instrument can function in two modes : snap-shot and finish-line. In snapshot mode, all samples are electrophoresed for the same time and the gel is scanned after completion of electrophoresis, while in finish-line mode, fluorophore labeled samples are electrophoresed for a constant distance and the image is formed as the samples pass under the detector. The resolving power of the finish-line mode of imaging is found to be greater than that of the snapshot mode of imaging. This laserscanner is also compared with a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera and in terms of resolving power is found to be superior. Sensitivity of the instrument is presented in terms of the minimum amount of DNA that can be detected verses its molecular length.

Within the field of quality control and dimensional metrology, the evolutions in the domain of production processes are triggering more use of non-contact measurement equipment to assure faster feature assessment where possible. This led to the development of for instance laser line scanners. The standardization of these new tools follows these novel evolutions. As the coordinate measuring systems (CMSs) which include coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) with its diversity in measurement probes widens its spectrum, the ISO 10360 standard series is rearranged and split up in more parts, covering specific probe groups. The previously mentioned laser line scanners, that can be equipped on a CMM, are integrated within ISO 10360-8 which applies for CMMs equipped with optical distance sensors. This paper is an example of how to interpret and apply this standard to a specific optical distance sensor. This has to be done by taking into account the sensor's characteristics. The intrinsic properties in the technique require an in-depth look at the recommended guidelines within the standard. Furthermore, the guidelines are adapted to use the same capabilities of the laser line scanner, which are used for measuring, without eliminating the uncertainties present in practical use of the sensor. The verification tests and their implementation are discussed, adapted to the sensors needs and performed on a state-of-the-art CMM. The verification parameter results are determined, presented and critically evaluated.

A laserscanner computes a range from a laser line to an imaging sensor. The laser line illuminates a detail within an area covered by the imaging sensor, the area having a first dimension and a second dimension. The detail has a dimension perpendicular to the area. A traverse moves a laser emitter coupled to the imaging sensor, at a height above the area. The laser emitter is positioned at an offset along the scan direction with respect to the imaging sensor, and is oriented at a depression angle with respect to the area. The laser emitter projects the laser line along the second dimension of the area at a position where a image frame is acquired. The imaging sensor is sensitive to laser reflections from the detail produced by the laser line. The imaging sensor images the laser reflections from the detail to generate the image frame. A computer having a pipeline structure is connected to the imaging sensor for reception of the image frame, and for computing the range to the detail using height, depression angle and/or offset. The computer displays the range to the area and detail thereon covered by the image frame.

Ameloblastoma is a benign locally aggressive infiltrative odontogenic lesion. It is characterized by slow growth and painless swelling. The treatment for ameloblastoma varies from curettage to en bloc resection, and the reported recurrence rates after treatment are high; the safety margin of resection is important to avoid recurrence. Advances in technology brought about great benefits in dentistry; a new generation of computed tomography scanners and 3-dimensional images enhance the surgical planning and management of maxillofacial tumors. The development of new prototyping systems provides accurate 3D biomodels on which surgery can be simulated, especially in cases of ameloblastoma, in which the safety margin is important for treatment success. A case of mandibular follicular ameloblastoma is reported where a 3D biomodel was used before and during surgery.

Over the last several years, laser interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) has gained wide acceptance for the treatment of a myriad of cranial lesions. A wide variety of techniques for placement of the laser fiber have been reported with a spectrum of perceived benefits and drawbacks. The authors present the first report of a customized 3D printed stereotactic frame for LITT. Approximately 1 week prior to surgery, 3-4 skull fiducials were placed after each of 5 patients received a local anesthetic as an outpatient. Radiographs with these fiducials were then used to create a trajectory to the lesion that would be treated with LITT. After the plan was completed, software was used to render a customized frame. On the day of surgery, the frame was attached to the implanted skull fiducials and the LITT catheter was placed. This procedure was carried out in 5 consecutive patients. In 2 patients, a needle biopsy was also performed. Intraoperative and postoperative imaging studies confirmed the accurate placement of the LITT catheter and the lesion created. Mean operating room time for all patients was 45 minutes but only 26 minutes when excluding the cases in which a biopsy was performed. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the use of a specific system, the STarFix microTargeting system, for use with LITT and brain biopsy. This system offers several advantages including fast operating times, extensive preoperative planning, no need for cranial fixation, and no need for frame or fiducial placement on the day of surgery. The accuracy of the system combined with these advantages may make this a preferred stereotactic method for LITT, especially in centers where LITT is performed in a diagnostic MRI suite.

In this paper, high-throughput ultrashort pulse laser machining is investigated on various industrial grade metals (Aluminium, Copper, Stainless steel) and Al2O3 ceramic at unprecedented processing speeds. This is achieved by using a high pulse repetition frequency picosecond laser with maximum average output power of 270 W in conjunction with a unique, in-house developed two-axis polygon scanner. Initially, different concepts of polygon scanners are engineered and tested to find out the optimal architecture for ultrafast and precision laser beam scanning. Remarkable 1,000 m/s scan speed is achieved on the substrate, and thanks to the resulting low pulse overlap, thermal accumulation and plasma absorption effects are avoided at up to 20 MHz pulse repetition frequencies. In order to identify optimum processing conditions for efficient high-average power laser machining, the depths of cavities produced under varied parameter settings are analyzed and, from the results obtained, the characteristic removal values are specified. The maximum removal rate is achieved as high as 27.8 mm3/min for Aluminium, 21.4 mm3/min for Copper, 15.3 mm3/min for Stainless steel and 129.1 mm3/min for Al2O3 when full available laser power is irradiated at optimum pulse repetition frequency.

The Onkalo site has been selected as final deep geological repository for the disposal of nuclear waste in Finland. Several exploratory boreholes, similar to those that will host the nuclear waste, are currently under construction in order to analyse various technical aspects of the disposal. Among them, an accurate monitoring of the deformation of each borehole is required. The present study aims at finding the most suitable technique for measuring and monitoring small scale (below mm) deformations of these boreholes with high confidence and accuracy. Two different close-range monitoring techniques are compared here: a phase-shift terrestrial laser scanning (Z+F 5006i) and photogrammetry (Canon EOS 6D&EF20mm + Adamtech 3DM Mine Mapping Suite 2.5). Both techniques are applied using multi temporal acquisitions. As for the data acquired by the terrestrial laserscanner, our study has revealed that parts of the 3D datasets are affected by an artificial distortion, with a maximum shift up to 6 mm, which is clearly below the required accuracy. The origin of this artifact is related with the data acquisition strategy: since the accuracy of the laser measurement is affected by the incidence angle, we observed that when the incidence angle is higher than 45°, the range is unsatisfactorily underestimated. Furthermore, we found another issue in the influence of the surface condition on range measurement, such as wet versus dry, or dark versus light colored rock surface. As for the photogrammetric data, we observed that, when compared to a theoretical cylinder, the 3D point cloud was affected by a sub-millimetric distortion. This distortion is due to the construction and georeferencing of the final 3D model. The error can reach up to +/- 0.8 mm in the border areas of the picture, which is significant value as a millimetric deformation should be detected. Up to now, the photogrammetric acquisitions have provided more accurate results than the laser scanning, but there is a

Leaf area index (LAI) or plant area index (PAI) are commonly used to represent canopy structure and dynamics, but daily estimation of these variables using traditional ground-based methods is impractical and prone to multiple errors during data acquisition and processing. Existing terrestrial laserscanners can provide accurate representation of forest canopy structure, but the sensors are expensive, data processing is complex, and measurements are typically confined to a single event, which severely limits their utility in the interpretation of canopy trends indicated by remotely sensed data. We tested a novel, low-cost terrestrial laserscanner for its capacity to provide reliable and successive assessments of canopy PAI in an evergreen eucalypt forest. Daily scans were made by three scanners at one forest site over a three-year period, providing mostly consecutive estimates of PAI, and of vertical structure profiles (as Plant Area Volume Density, PAVD). Data filtering, involving objective statistical methods to identify outliers, indicated that scan quality was adversely affected by moist weather and moderate wind speeds (>4 m s-1), suggesting limited utility in some forest environments. We found strong agreement between lidar-derived PAI estimates, and those from monthly hemispherical images (±0.1 PAI); with both methods indicating mostly stable PAI over multiple seasons. The PAVD profiles from the laserscanner indicated that leaf flush in the upper canopy concomitantly balanced leaf loss from the middle canopy in summer, which was consistent with measured summer peaks in litter fall. This clearly illustrated the advantages of three-dimensional lidar data over traditional two-dimensional PAI estimates in monitoring tree phenology, and in interpreting changes in canopy reflectance as detected by air- and space-borne remotely sensed data.

Anthropometric quantities are widely used in epidemiologic research as possible confounders, risk factors, or outcomes. 3Dlaser-based body scans (BS) allow evaluation of dozens of quantities in short time with minimal physical contact between observers and probands. The aim of this study was to compare BS with classical manual anthropometric (CA) assessments with respect to feasibility, reliability, and validity. We performed a study on 108 individuals with multiple measurements of BS and CA to estimate intra- and inter-rater reliabilities for both. We suggested BS equivalents of CA measurements and determined validity of BS considering CA the gold standard. Throughout the study, the overall concordance correlation coefficient (OCCC) was chosen as indicator of agreement. BS was slightly more time consuming but better accepted than CA. For CA, OCCCs for intra- and inter-rater reliability were greater than 0.8 for all nine quantities studied. For BS, 9 of 154 quantities showed reliabilities below 0.7. BS proxies for CA measurements showed good agreement (minimum OCCC > 0.77) after offset correction. Thigh length showed higher reliability in BS while upper arm length showed higher reliability in CA. Except for these issues, reliabilities of CA measurements and their BS equivalents were comparable. PMID:27225483

Microscale laser dynamic forming ({mu}LDF) shows great potential in fabricating robust and high-aspect-ratio metallic microcomponents. Experiments revealed that strain rate and sample size play important roles in determining the dynamic plasticity and final results of {mu}LDF. To further understand these effects, a multiscale modeling methodology is adopted to characterize the microscale dynamic plasticity considering the evolutions of nano-to-submicron dislocations avalanches under shock loading. In this methodology, 3D discrete dislocation dynamics simulations are implemented to derive the yield strength and the initial strain hardening dependence on size and strain rate. It is observed that there exist three dynamic stages during deformation process. The initial strain hardening rate in Stage II increases with strain rate. The mechanical threshold stress model, intrinsically equipped with strain-rate-dependent flow stress and initial hardening, is chosen and modified to incorporate size effect quantitatively. This scale-dependent model, implemented in abaqus/explicit, provides deformation depths and thickness variations in good agreement with experimental results in {mu}LDF.

This article presents a new system for 3D foot-shape measurements during walking. It is based on the laser-triangulation, multiple-line-illumination and color-modulation techniques. It consists of a walking stage and four measuring modules that simultaneously acquire the foot shape from the top, bottom and side views. The measuring speed is 30 fps. Custom-developed software makes it possible to analyze the foot's dimensions at an arbitrary cross-section by means of the width, height, girth and section orientation. Six subjects were measured during bare and shod walking, and the bare foot and the outside dimensions of the footwear during the entire stance phase are presented. The relative measurement repeatability of a single subject is 0.5% for bare foot and 1% for shod foot. This means that it is possible to study the differences between various influences on the foot-shape dynamics, such as a bare/shod foot, different loading conditions and the shoe's stiffness condition.

Due to the rise of laser scanning the 3D geometry of plant architecture is easy to acquire. Nevertheless, an automated interpretation and, finally, the segmentation into functional groups are still difficult to achieve. Two barley plants were scanned in a time course, and the organs were separated by applying a histogram-based classification algorithm. The leaf organs were represented by meshing algorithms, while the stem organs were parameterized by a least-squares cylinder approximation. We introduced surface feature histograms with an accuracy of 96% for the separation of the barley organs, leaf and stem. This enables growth monitoring in a time course for barley plants. Its reliability was demonstrated by a comparison with manually fitted parameters with a correlation R(2) = 0:99 for the leaf area and R(2) = 0:98 for the cumulated stem height. A proof of concept has been given for its applicability for the detection of water stress in barley, where the extension growth of an irrigated and a non-irrigated plant has been monitored.

The roughness of rock surfaces is traditionally measured by using manual tools such as carpenter's comp and compass and disc clinometers. The manual measurements are limited to small samples at accessible parts of the rock. Terrestrial laser scanning is an attractive alternative measurement technique, which offers large coverage, high resolution, and the ability to reach inaccessible high rock faces. The application of laser scanning to the study of rock surface roughness faces a major challenge: the inherent range imprecision hinders the quantification of roughness parameters. In practice, when roughness is in millimeter scale it is often lost in the range measurement noise. The parameters derived from the data, therefore, reflect noise rather than the actual roughness of the surface. In this paper, we investigate the influence of laserscanner range measurement noise on the quantification of rock surfaces roughness. We show that measurement noise leads to the overestimation of roughness parameters. We also demonstrate the application of wavelet de-noising method to eliminating noise from laserscanner data and deriving realistic roughness parameters. A slightly metamorphosed limestone rock in the east bank of the Meuse River in southern Belgium was scanned with a Faro LS880 terrestrial laserscanner. The scanner was positioned at approximately 5 meters distance to the rock surface, and operated at the highest possible angular resolution, i.e. 0.009 degrees. The resulting point cloud contained about 1.2 million points on the rock surface with a point-spacing of 1 mm on average. According to the technical specifications of the laserscanner, the nominal range precision at a perpendicular incidence angle, which was roughly the case in our scan, is between 0.7 mm and 5.2 mm respectively for objects of 90% and 10% reflectivity at a distance of 10 m. To serve as reference roughness data were also collected manually along three profiles on the rock surface by using a

Steven Hancock1, Rachel Gaulton1, Mark Danson2 1School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, UK, steven.hancock@ncl.ac.uk, rachel.gaulton@ncl.ac.uk 2 School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, UK, F.M.Danson@salford.ac.uk Forests are a vital part of the Earth's carbon cycle and drive interactions between the land and atmosphere. Accurate and repeatable measurement of forests is essential for understanding the Earth system. Terrestrial laser scanning can be a powerful tool for characterising forests. However, there are a number of issues that have yet to be resolved. Commercial laserscanners are optimised for measuring buildings and other hard targets. Vegetation canopies are complex and porous, confounding standard interpretation techniques. Commercial systems struggle with partial hits and cannot distinguish leaf from wood (Danson et al 2007). A new generation of terrestrial laserscanners, optimised for vegetation measurement, are in development. The Salford Advanced Laser Canopy Analyser (SALCA, Gaulton et al 2013) aims to overcome these issues using full-waveform analysis and two wavelengths (1064 nm and 1545 nm), allowing the characterisation of a porous canopy, the identification of leaf and wood and derivation of information on leaf biochemistry. Gaulton et al (2013) showed that SALCA is capable of measuring the Equivalent Water Thickness (EWT) of individual leaves in laboratory conditions. In this study, the method was applied to complete tree canopies. A controlled experiment simulating a small 'forest' of potted broadleaved (Tilia cordata) and coniferous trees (Pinus nigra) was established and groups subjected to different moisture stresses over a one month period. Trees were repeatedly scanned by SALCA and regular measurements were made of leaf EWT, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, spectral properties (using an ASD field spectroradiometer) and, for a limited number of trees, leaf area (by destructive

Objective: To evaluate the measurement accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) facial scanners for facial deformity patients from oral clinic. Methods: 10 patients in different types of facial deformity from oral clinical were included. Three 3D digital face models for each patient were obtained by three facial scanners separately (line laserscanner from Faro for reference, stereophotography scanner from 3dMD and structured light scanner from FaceScan for test). For each patient, registration based on Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm was executed to align two test models (3dMD data & Facescan data) to the reference models (Faro data in high accuracy) respectively. The same boundaries on each pair models (one test and one reference models) were obtained by projection function in Geomagic Stuido 2012 software for trimming overlapping region, then 3D average measurement errors (3D errors) were calculated for each pair models also by the software. Paired t-test analysis was adopted to compare the 3D errors of two test facial scanners (10 data for each group). 3D profile measurement accuracy (3D accuracy) that is integrated embodied by average value and standard deviation of 10 patients' 3D errors were obtained by surveying analysis for each test scanner finally. Results: 3D accuracies of 2 test facial scanners in this study for facial deformity were 0.44+/-0.08 mm and 0.43+/-0.05 mm. The result of structured light scanner was slightly better than stereophotography scanner. No statistical difference between them. Conclusions: Both test facial scanners could meet the accuracy requirement (0.5mm) of 3D facial data acquisition for oral clinic facial deformity patients in this study. Their practical measurement accuracies were all slightly lower than their nominal accuracies.

Many studies have suggested a link between the spatial organization of genomes and fundamental biological processes such as genome reprogramming, gene expression, and differentiation. Multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization on three-dimensionally preserved nuclei (3D-FISH), in combination with confocal microscopy, has become an effective technique for analyzing 3D genome structure and spatial patterns of defined nucleus targets including entire chromosome territories and single gene loci. This technique usually requires the simultaneous visualization of numerous targets labeled with different colored fluorochromes. Thus, the number of channels and lasers must be sufficient for the commonly used labeling scheme of 3D-FISH, "one probe-one target". However, these channels and lasers are usually restricted by a given microscope system. This paper presents a method for simultaneously delineating multiple targets in 3D-FISH using limited channels, lasers, and fluorochromes. In contrast to other labeling schemes, this method is convenient and simple for multicolor 3D-FISH studies, which may result in widespread adoption of the technique. Lastly, as an application of the method, the nucleus locations of chromosome territory 18/21 and centromere 18/21/13 in normal human lymphocytes were analyzed, which might present evidence of a radial higher order chromatin arrangement.

Except some special cases the color printing is usually performed by overprinting a series of four plates in yellow (Y) magenta (M) cyan (C) and black (BK) ink. Process Color Scanner is the device that reads the fullcolor on ginal to be reproduced it into four color components (Y and BK) converts the totalvalue into the dot sizes provides the output on the photosensitive materials such as monochrome film on monochrome paper. The optical dot formation of our Process Colon Scanner SG series is performed as follows: 1. Ten light spots that may be independently switched (ON and OFF) at high speed are formed in line on a photosensitive material. 2. Such photosensitive material wrapped around the surface of a notating drum forms the dots on its surface according to the light spots switched by the signals from the dot generator as the drum notates. (See Fig. 1) Conventionally the gas laser (HeNe on Ar) has been used as the light source where a beam from a single laser tube is splitted into ten beams by the use of a beam splitter and an external modulator is provided to each laser beam to control its switching. As the semiconductor laser has the features such as high speed self-modulability and compact size we have developed new exposure system with ten semi conductor laser elements to replace conventional system consisting of a gas a beam splitter and ten external modulators. (See Fig. 2) 1. CONSTRUCTION OF THE SYSTEM 1. 1. Light emitting section The semiconductor laser emitting the light of 780 nm wave length is employed for the matching with photosensitive materials currently available. And as this type of semiconductor laser is also used in compact disc system etc. it offers stable performance and good availability. 1. 2. Method to control the beam Unlike the gas laser beam with an excellent directivity the semi- 68 / SPIE Vol. 1254 Optical Hard Copy and Printing Systems (1990)

A 3Dscanner, based on incoherent illumination techniques, and associated data-processing algorithms are presented that can be used to scan objects at lateral resolutions ranging from 5 to100 {mu}m (or more) and depth resolutions of approximately 2 {mu}m.The scanner was designed with the specific intent to scan cuneiform tablets but can be utilized for other applications. Photometric stereo techniques are used to obtain both a surface normal map and a parameterized model of the object's bidirectional reflectance distribution function. The normal map is combined with height information,gathered by structured light techniques, to form a consistent 3D surface. Data from Lambertian and specularly diffuse spherical objects are presented and used to quantify the accuracy of the techniques. Scans of a cuneiform tablet are also presented. All presented data are at a lateral resolution of 26.8 {mu}m as this is approximately the minimum resolution deemed necessary to accurately represent cuneiform.

Sheet metals with thicknesses >8 mm have a distinct cutting performance. The free choice of the optical configuration composed of fiber diameter, collimation, and focal length offers many opportunities to influence the static beam geometry. Previous analysis points out the limitations of this method in the thick section area. Within the present study, an experimental investigation of fiber laser fusion cutting of 12 mm stainless steel was performed by means of dynamical beam oscillation. Two standard optical setups are combined with a highly dynamic galvano-driven scanner that achieves frequencies up to 4 kHz. Dependencies of the scanner parameter, the optical circumstances, and the conventional cutting parameters are discussed. The aim is to characterize the capabilities and challenges of the dynamic beam shaping in comparison to the state-of-the-art static beam shaping. Thus, the trials are evaluated by quality criteria of the cut edge as surface roughness and burr height, the feed rate, and the cut kerf geometry. The investigation emphasizes promising procedural possibilities for improvements of the cutting performance in the case of fiber laser fusion cutting of thick stainless steel by means of the application of a highly dynamic scanner.

Body mass reconstructions of extinct vertebrates are most robust when complete to near-complete skeletons allow the reconstruction of either physical or digital models. Digital models are most efficient in terms of time and cost, and provide the facility to infinitely modify model properties non-destructively, such that sensitivity analyses can be conducted to quantify the effect of the many unknown parameters involved in reconstructions of extinct animals. In this study we use laser scanning (LiDAR) and computer modelling methods to create a range of 3D mass models of five specimens of non-avian dinosaur; two near-complete specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex, the most complete specimens of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis and Strutiomimum sedens, and a near-complete skeleton of a sub-adult Edmontosaurus annectens. LiDAR scanning allows a full mounted skeleton to be imaged resulting in a detailed 3D model in which each bone retains its spatial position and articulation. This provides a high resolution skeletal framework around which the body cavity and internal organs such as lungs and air sacs can be reconstructed. This has allowed calculation of body segment masses, centres of mass and moments or inertia for each animal. However, any soft tissue reconstruction of an extinct taxon inevitably represents a best estimate model with an unknown level of accuracy. We have therefore conducted an extensive sensitivity analysis in which the volumes of body segments and respiratory organs were varied in an attempt to constrain the likely maximum plausible range of mass parameters for each animal. Our results provide wide ranges in actual mass and inertial values, emphasizing the high level of uncertainty inevitable in such reconstructions. However, our sensitivity analysis consistently places the centre of mass well below and in front of hip joint in each animal, regardless of the chosen combination of body and respiratory structure volumes. These results emphasize that future

Body mass reconstructions of extinct vertebrates are most robust when complete to near-complete skeletons allow the reconstruction of either physical or digital models. Digital models are most efficient in terms of time and cost, and provide the facility to infinitely modify model properties non-destructively, such that sensitivity analyses can be conducted to quantify the effect of the many unknown parameters involved in reconstructions of extinct animals. In this study we use laser scanning (LiDAR) and computer modelling methods to create a range of 3D mass models of five specimens of non-avian dinosaur; two near-complete specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex, the most complete specimens of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis and Strutiomimum sedens, and a near-complete skeleton of a sub-adult Edmontosaurus annectens. LiDAR scanning allows a full mounted skeleton to be imaged resulting in a detailed 3D model in which each bone retains its spatial position and articulation. This provides a high resolution skeletal framework around which the body cavity and internal organs such as lungs and air sacs can be reconstructed. This has allowed calculation of body segment masses, centres of mass and moments or inertia for each animal. However, any soft tissue reconstruction of an extinct taxon inevitably represents a best estimate model with an unknown level of accuracy. We have therefore conducted an extensive sensitivity analysis in which the volumes of body segments and respiratory organs were varied in an attempt to constrain the likely maximum plausible range of mass parameters for each animal. Our results provide wide ranges in actual mass and inertial values, emphasizing the high level of uncertainty inevitable in such reconstructions. However, our sensitivity analysis consistently places the centre of mass well below and in front of hip joint in each animal, regardless of the chosen combination of body and respiratory structure volumes. These results emphasize that future

We propose herein the "ship-in-a-bottle" integration of three-dimensional (3D) polymeric sinusoidal ridges inside photosensitive glass microfluidic channel by a hybrid subtractive - additive femtosecond laser processing method. It consists of Femtosecond Laser Assisted Wet Etching (FLAE) of a photosensitive Foturan glass followed by Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP) of a SU-8 negative epoxy-resin. Both subtractive and additive processes are carried out using the same set-up with the change of laser focusing objective only. A 522 nm wavelength of the second harmonic generation from an amplified femtosecond Yb-fiber laser (FCPA µJewel D-400, IMRA America, 1045 nm; pulse width 360 fs, repetition rate 200 kHz) was employed for irradiation. The new method allows lowering the size limit of 3D objects created inside channels to smaller details down to the dimensions of a cell, and improve the structure stability. Sinusoidal periodic patterns and ridges are of great use as base scaffolds for building up new structures on their top or for modulating cell migration, guidance and orientation while created interspaces can be exploited for microfluidic applications. The glass microchannel offers robustness and appropriate dynamic flow conditions for cellular studies while the integrated patterns are reducing the size of structure to the level of cells responsiveness. Taking advantage of the ability to directly fabricate 3D complex shapes, both glass channels and polymeric integrated patterns enable us to 3D spatially design biochips for specific applications.

We present a novel approach to manufacturing 3D microstructured composite scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. A thermal extrusion 3D printer - a simple, low-cost tabletop device enabling rapid materialization of CAD models in plastics - was used to produce cm-scale microporous scaffolds out of polylactic acid (PLA). The fabricated objects were subsequently immersed in a photosensitive monomer solution and direct laser writing technique (DLW) was used to refine its inner structure by fabricating a fine mesh inside the previously produced scaffold. In addition, a composite material structure out of four different materials fabricated via DLW is presented. This technique, empowered by ultrafast lasers allows 3D structuring with high spatial resolution in a great variety of photosensitive materials. A composite scaffold made of distinct materials and periodicities is acquired after the development process used to wash out non-linked monomers. Another way to modify the 3D printed PLA surfaces was also demonstrated - ablation with femtosecond laser beam. Structure geometry on macro- to micro- scales could be finely tuned by combining these fabrication techniques. Such artificial 3D substrates could be used for cell growth or as biocompatible-biodegradable implants. To our best knowledge, this is the first experimental demonstration showing the creation of composite 3D scaffolds using convenient 3D printing combined with DLW. This combination of distinct material processing techniques enables rapid fabrication of diverse functional micro-featured and integrated devices. Hopefully, the proposed approach will find numerous applications in the field of tissue engineering, as well as in microelectromechanical systems, microfluidics, microoptics and others.

This paper describes an enhanced fusion method for an Inertial Navigation System (INS) based on a 3-axis accelerometer sensor, a 3-axis gyroscope sensor and a laserscanner. In GPS-denied environments, indoor or dense forests, a pure INS odometry is available for estimating the trajectory of a human or robot. However it has a critical implementation problem: a drift error of velocity, position and heading angles. Commonly the problem can be solved by fusing visual landmarks, a magnetometer or radio beacons. These methods are not robust in diverse environments: darkness, fog or sunlight, an unstable magnetic field and an environmental obstacle. We propose to overcome the drift problem using an Iterative Closest Point (ICP) scan matching algorithm with a laserscanner. This system consists of three parts. The first is the INS. It estimates attitude, velocity, position based on a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with both 'Heuristic Reduction of Gyro Drift' (HRGD) and 'Heuristic Reduction of Velocity Drift' (HRVD) methods. A frame-to-frame ICP matching algorithm for estimating position and attitude by laser scan data is the second. The third is an extended kalman filter method for multi-sensor data fusing: INS and Laser Range Finder (LRF). The proposed method is simple and robust in diverse environments, so we could reduce the drift error efficiently. We confirm the result comparing an odometry of the experimental result with ICP and LRF aided-INS in a long corridor.

3D digital microscopy was used to develop a rapid alternative approach to quantify the effects of specific laser parameters on soft tissue ablation and charring in vitro without the use of conventional tissue processing techniques. Two diode lasers operating at 810 and 980 nm wavelengths were used to ablate three tissue types (bovine liver, turkey breast, and bovine muscle) at varying laser power (0.3, 1.0, and 2.0 W) and velocities (1-50 mm/s). Spectrophotometric analyses were performed on each tissue to determine tissue-specific absorption coefficients and were considered in creating wavelength-dependent energy attenuation models to evaluate minimum heat of tissue ablations. 3D surface contour profiles characterizing tissue damage revealed that ablation depth and tissue charring increased with laser power and decreased with lateral velocity independent of wavelength and tissue type. While bovine liver ablation and charring were statistically higher at 810 than 980 nm (p < 0.05), turkey breast and bovine muscle ablated and charred more at 980 than 810 nm (p < 0.05). Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that bovine liver tissue had a greater tissue-specific absorption coefficient at 810 than 980 nm, while turkey breast and bovine muscle had a larger absorption coefficient at 980 nm (p < 0.05). This rapid 3D microscopic analysis of robot-driven laser ablation yielded highly reproducible data that supported well-defined trends related to laser-tissue interactions and enabled high throughput characterization of many laser-tissue permutations. Since 3D microscopy quantifies entire lesions without altering the tissue specimens, conventional and immunohistologic techniques can be used, if desired, to further interrogate specific sections of the digitized lesions.

Ground-based terrestrial laser scanning and hyperspectral sensors were used to image fine-scale heterogeneity in outcrops of prodeltaic heterolithic facies of Parasequence 6 of the Cretaceous Ferron Notom delta in Southern Utah. Previous work shows that Parasequence 6 is an upward coarsening fluvial-dominated, wave-influenced deltaic deposit containing heterolithic thin-bedded facies representing distal delta front and proximal prodelta environments. Primarily, the thin beds have been interpreted as turbidites, storm beds (tempestites), and hyperpycnites. These deposits represent analogs for thin-bedded unconventional pay zones that lie at the margins of conventional deltaic sandstone reservoirs. The terrestrial laserscanner was used to create a centimeter- to decimeter-scale, digital representation of the outcrops in three dimensions. Hyperspectral sensors record electromagnetic radiation reflected off the outcrops in 840 contiguous bands, which were then used to generate a spectral signature for each pixel sampled. The spectral signatures are a function of mineralogy, chemistry, surface alteration, grain-size, and cements, and were used to distinguish thin mudstones from sandstones within an interbedded succession at the base of a deltaic parasequence. Comparison between the spectral signatures recorded from the outcrop and those of reference materials, and with previous facies architecture studies, enables lithofacies to be identified and subsequently accurately mapped. Hyperspectral data are then draped over the terrestrial laserscanner model to generate a spatially-accurate detailed three-dimensional (3D) geologic map of the heterogeneity. Approximately 100 m of outcrop was imaged laterally with the hyperspectral camera and terrestrial laserscanner on the previously mapped distal delta front and prodeltaic facies of Parasequence 6. Bed thickness data, based on measurements made along depositional dip versus strike, show that bed geometries are anisotropic

This paper deals with the assessing of pathologies in façades using a variety of intensity data provided by different terrestrial laserscanner. In particular, a complex building built in the Villamayor Stone that is to be candidate as a Global Heritage Stone Resource has been chosen as study case. The Villamayor Stone were quarrying for the construction and ornamentation of monuments in Salamanca, declared World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1988. The objective of this paper is to assess the pathologies of Villamayor Stone and compare the results obtained through the laser techniques with the classical techniques of mapped pathologies (i.e. visual inspection). For that intensity data coming from laserscanners will be used as non-destructive techniques applied to the façades and several retired plaques (after of building restoration) of Villamayor Stone with pathologies (fissures, scales, loss of matter, humidity/biological colonization) carried to the laboratory. Subsequently it will perform different comparisons between the accuracy reached with the different sensors and a high precision model setup on laboratory which performs as "ground truth". In particular, the following objectives will be pursued: i) accuracy assessment of the results obtained in in situ and laboratory; ii) an automation or semi-automation of the detection of pathologies in Villamayor Stone; iii) discriminate the different types of Villamayor Stone used in the façades in function of the radiometric response; iv) establish a methodology for detection and assessing of pathologies based on laserscanner intensity data applied to monuments and modern buildings built in Villamayor Stone.

Patient gagging is a common problem during dental procedures such as maxillary impression making. This clinical report describes the use of a chairside intraoral scanner for a patient with a hypersensitive gag reflex. The technique proved to be a more comfortable alternative for the patient and an accurate method for the clinician to capture both hard and soft tissue detail for the fabrication of a definitive obturator.

The deep origin of the Alpe Arami garnet lherzolite massif in the Swiss Alps proposed by Dobrzhinetskaya et al. (Science, 1996) has been a focus of heated debate. One of the lines of evidence supporting an exhumation from more than 200 km depth includes the abundance, distribution, and orientation of magnesian ilmenite rods in the oldest generation of olivine. This argument has been disputed in terms of the abundance of ilmenite and consequently the maximum TiO2 content in the discussed olivine. In order to address this issue, we have directly measured the volume fraction of ilmenite of the oldest generation of olivine by applying confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). CLSM is a method which allows for three-dimensional imaging and quantitative volume determination by optical sectioning of the objects. The images for 3D reconstruction and measurements were acquired from petrographic thin sections in reflected laser light with 488 nm wavelength. Measurements of more than 80 olivine grains in six thin sections of our material yielded an average volume fraction of 0.31% ilmenite in the oldest generation of olivine from Alpe Arami. This translates into 0.23 wt.% TiO2 in olivine with error in determination of ±0.097 wt.%, a value significantly different from that of 0.02 to 0.03 wt.% TiO2 determined by Hacker et al. (Science, 1997) by a broad-beam microanalysis technique. During the complex geological history of the Alpe Arami massif, several events of metamorphism are recorded which all could have caused increased mobility of the mineral components. Evidence for loss of TiO2 from olivine is the tendency for high densities of ilmenite to be restricted to cores of old grains, the complete absence of ilmenite inclusions from the younger, recrystallized, generation of olivine, and reduction in ilmenite size and abundance in more serpentinized specimens. These observations suggest that only olivine grains with the highest concentrations of ilmenite are close to the

We assessed the problem of low mixing efficiency caused by unstable signal polarization because of a moving reflector in a laser communication terminal with a periscopic scanner. A real-time polarization compensation method based on rotating waveplates is presented, which keeps the receiving signal light polarization at 45° linear polarized and improves system mixing efficiency. A geometric model of the laser communication terminal was first established, its polarization transmission characteristics were analyzed by three-dimensional polarization tracks, and a system polarization transmission matrix was calculated. The relationship between scan angle and polarization of the output signal was simulated. The connections between a polarization-compensating λ/4 waveplate and the λ/2 waveplate rotation angle and scan angle were established. These findings will pave the way for real-time polarization control technology for coherent free-space laser communications.

The need for accurate documentation for the preservation of cultural heritage has prompted the use of terrestrial laserscanner (TLS) in this discipline. Its study in the heritage context has been focused on opaque surfaces with lambertian reflectance, while translucent and anisotropic materials remain a major challenge. The use of TLS for the mentioned materials is subject to significant distortion in measure due to the optical properties under the laser stimulation. The distortion makes the measurement by range not suitable for digital modelling in a wide range of cases. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and discuss the deficiencies and their resulting errors in marmorean surfaces documentation using TLS based on time-of-flight and phase-shift. Also proposed in this paper is the reduction of error in depth measurement by adjustment of the incidence laser beam. The analysis is conducted by controlled experiments.

Lithium manganese oxide composite cathodes are realized by laser-printing. The printed cathode is a composite and consists of active powder, binder and conductive agents. Laser-printed cathodes are first calendered and then laser structured using femtosecond-laser radiation in order to form three-dimensional (3D) micro-grids in the cathode material. Three-dimensional micro-grids in calendered/laser structured cathodes exhibit improved discharge capacity retention at a 1 C discharging rate. Calendered but unstructured cathodes indicate the poorest cycling behavior at 1 C discharge. The improved capacity retention and the reduced degradation of calendered/structured cathodes can be attributed to both the increased electrical contact through calendering as well as shortened Li-ion pathways due to laser-induced 3D microgrids.

Digital photonic production of 3D microfluidic devices and assembled micro mechanics inside fused silica glass is carried out using ISLE directly from digital CAD data. To exploit the potential productivity of new high average power fs-lasers >150 W a modular high speed scanning system has been developed. Acousto-optical beam deflection, galvo-scanners and translation stages are controlled by CAM software. Using a lens with 10 mm focal length a focus radius of 1 μm is scanned with a velocity of 12 m/s on 400 μm track radius enabling the up-scaling of the ISLE- process using fs-laser radiation with up to 30 W.

We present a nondestructive 3D system for analysis of whole Stardust tracks, using a combination of Laser Confocal Scanning Microscopy and synchrotron XRF. 3D deconvolution is used for optical corrections, and results of quantitative analyses of several tracks are presented. The Stardust mission to comet Wild 2 trapped many cometary and ISM particles in aerogel, leaving behind 'tracks' of melted silica aerogel on both sides of the collector. Collected particles and their tracks range in size from submicron to millimeter scale. Interstellar dust collected on the obverse of the aerogel collector is thought to have an average track length of {approx}15 {micro}m. It has been our goal to perform a total non-destructive 3D textural and XRF chemical analysis on both types of tracks. To that end, we use a combination of Laser Confocal Scanning Microscopy (LCSM) and X Ray Florescence (XRF) spectrometry. Utilized properly, the combination of 3D optical data and chemical data provides total nondestructive characterization of full tracks, prior to flattening or other destructive analysis methods. Our LCSM techniques allow imaging at 0.075 {micro}m/pixel, without the use of oil-based lenses. A full textural analysis on track No.82 is presented here as well as analysis of 6 additional tracks contained within 3 keystones (No.128, No.129 and No.140). We present a method of removing the axial distortion inherent in LCSM images, by means of a computational 3D Deconvolution algorithm, and present some preliminary experiments with computed point spread functions. The combination of 3D LCSM data and XRF data provides invaluable information, while preserving the integrity of the samples for further analysis. It is imperative that these samples, the first extraterrestrial solids returned since the Apollo era, be fully mapped nondestructively in 3D, to preserve the maximum amount of information prior to other, destructive analysis.

Point-cloud registration is usually accomplished on the basis of several corresponding features to compute the parameters of the transformation model. However, common point features are difficult to select because airborne laserscanner (ALS) and terrestrial laserscanner (TLS) point clouds of the same object have be aligned due to the different sensing positions and sampling modes. Taking building profile features as objects, a registration method based on feature constraints is proposed here. The standard six-parameter rigid-body transformation adopted for alignment of laser scans is replaced by a two-step transformation: horizontal registration based on a two-dimensional similarity transformation and vertical registration based on a simple vertical shift. First, the feature-line and feature-plane equation parameters are obtained from both the airborne and terrestrial point clouds. Second, the plane transformation parameters are computed after projecting the extracted features onto a horizontal reference plane. Finally, the elevation transformation parameter is calculated by comparing the heights of flat features. The ALS and TLS datasets of two buildings (Shanghai Pudong International Conference Center and Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, China) were used to evaluate the robustness and accuracy. The results show that the proposed feature-constrained method works well for registration between two datasets. Five checkpoints and one overlap zone for the Pudong International Conference Center were selected to evaluate the accuracy and resulted in accuracies of 0.15 to 0.5 m in the horizontal direction and 0.20 m in the vertical direction.

A compact and two-dimensional atomic force microscope (AFM) using an orthogonal sample scanner, a calibrated homodyne laser interferometer and a commercial AFM head was developed for use in the nano-metrology field. The x and y position of the sample with respect to the tip are acquired by using the laser interferometer in the open-loop state, when each z data point of the AFM head is taken. The sample scanner, which has a motion amplifying mechanism was designed to move a sample up to 100 μm × 100 μm in orthogonal way, which means less crosstalk between axes. Moreover, the rotational errors between axes are measured to ensure the accuracy of the calibrated AFM within the full scanning range. The conventional homodyne laser interferometer was used to measure the x and y displacements of the sample and compensated via an X-ray interferometer to reduce the nonlinearity of the optical interferometer. The repeatability of the calibrated AFM was measured to sub-nanometers within a few hundred nanometers scanning range.

A 2D laser-scanner was deployed at the high tide runup limit of a pure gravel beach (Loe Bar, Cornwall, England) to measure high-frequency (2.5 Hz) swash hydrodynamics and topographic changes during an energetic wave event. Measurements performed with the laser-scanner were corrected to compensate for levelling and orientation errors, and a variance threshold was applied to separate the beach topography from the water motions. Laser measurements were used to characterise the swash hydrodynamics and morphological changes during one tidal cycle through the calculation of several parameters, such as the 2% exceedence of the runup maxima (R2%), swash flow velocity skewness (< u3>), runup spectra and cumulative topographic changes. Results indicate that despite the small net morphological changes over the tide cycle, significant sediment mobilization occurs. A clear asymmetrical morphological response was found during the different tidal phases: the rising tide is dominated by accretion whilst the falling tide is dominated by erosion. The main factor controlling this asymmetrical morphological response is the step migration that, depending on the tide phase, controls the wave breaking point and consequently the dominant sediment transport direction. During the rising tide, step development decreases the shoreface slope and reduces the runup energy, whilst during the falling tide the step remobilization increases the shoreface slope and energy on the runup.

Developing an ability to fabricate high-resolution, 3D metal nanostructures in a stretchable 3D matrix is a critical step to realizing novel optoelectronic devices such as tunable bulk metal-dielectric optical devices and THz metamaterial devices that are not feasible with alternative techniques. We report a new chemistry method to fabricate high-resolution, 3D silver nanostructures using a femtosecond-laser direct metal writing technique. Previously, only fabrication of 3D polymeric structures or single-/few-layer metal structures was possible. Our method takes advantage of unique gelatin properties to overcome such previous limitations as limited freedom in 3D material design and short sample lifetime. We fabricate more than 15 layers of 3D silver nanostructures with a resolution of less than 100 nm in a stable dielectric matrix that is flexible and has high large transparency that is well-matched for potential applications in the optical and THz metamaterial regimes. This is a single-step process that does not require any further processing. This work will be of interest to those interested in fabrication methods that utilize nonlinear light-matter interactions and the realization of future metamaterials.

A laser hazard analysis and safety assessment was performed for the LASIRISTM Model MAG-501L-670M-1000-45o-K diode laser associated with the High Resolution Pulse Scanner based on the ANSI Standard Z136.1-2000, American National Standard for the Safe Use of Lasers and the ANSI Standard Z136.6-2000, American National Standard for the Safe Use of Lasers Outdoors. The laser was evaluated for both indoor and outdoor use.

PET scanners require routine monitoring and quality control (QC) to ensure proper scanner performance. QC helps to ensure that PET equipment performs as specified by the manufacturer and that there have not been significant changes in the system response since acceptance. In this work we describe the maintenance history and we report on the results obtained from the PET system QC testing program over 5 years at two centers, both utilizing a Siemens Biograph 16 HiRez PET/CT system. QC testing programs were based on international standards and included the manufacturer's daily QC, monthly uniformity and sensitivity, quarterly cross-calibration and annual resolution and image quality. For the Winnipeg and Novara sites, two and one PET detector blocks have been replaced, respectively. Neither system has had other significant PET system related hardware replacements. The manufacturer's suggested daily QC was sensitive to detecting problems in the function of PET detector elements. The same test was not sensitive for detecting long term drifts in the systems: the Novara system observed a significant deterioration over five years of testing in the sensitivity which exhibited a decrease of 16% as compared to its initial value measured at system installation. The measure of the energy spectrum, showed that the 511 keV photopeak had shifted to a position of 468 keV. This shift was corrected by having service personnel perform a complete system calibration and detector block setup. We recommend including tests of system energy response and of sensitivity as part of a QC program since they can provide useful information on the actual performance of the scanner. A modification of the daily QC test by the manufacturer is suggested to monitor the long term stability of the system. Image quality and spatial resolution tests have proven to be of limited value for monitoring the system over time.

Disasters caused by heavy rain in urban areas bring a damage such as chaos in the road and railway transport systems, power failure, breakdown of the telephone system and submersion of built up areas, subways and underground shopping arcades, etc. It is important to obtain high precision elevation data which shows the detailed landform because a slight height difference affects damages by flood very considerably. Therefore, The Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) is preparing 5m grid digital terrain model (DTM) based on precise ground elevation data taken by using airborne laserscanner. This paper describes the process and an example of the use of a 5m grid digital data set.

Hydrodynamic turbulence and cavitation are known to play a significant role in high-pressure atomizers, but the small geometries and extreme operating conditions hinder the understanding of the flow’s characteristics. Diesel internal flow experiments are generally conducted using x-ray techniques or on transparent, and often enlarged, nozzles with different orifice geometries and surface roughness to those found in production injectors. In order to enable investigations of the fuel flow inside unmodified injectors, we have developed a new experimental approach to measure time-resolved vibration spectra of diesel nozzles using a 3Dlaser vibrometer. The technique we propose is based on the triangulation of the vibrometer and fuel pressure transducer signals, and enables the quantitative characterisation of quasi-cyclic internal flows without requiring modifications to the injector, the working fluid, or limiting the fuel injection pressure. The vibrometer, which uses the Doppler effect to measure the velocity of a vibrating object, was used to scan injector nozzle tips during the injection event. The data were processed using a discrete Fourier transform to provide time-resolved spectra for valve-closed-orifice, minisac and microsac nozzle geometries, and injection pressures ranging from 60 to 160 MPa, hence offering unprecedented insight into cyclic cavitation and internal mechanical dynamic processes. A peak was consistently found in the spectrograms between 6 and 7.5 kHz for all nozzles and injection pressures. Further evidence of a similar spectral peak was obtained from the fuel pressure transducer and a needle lift sensor mounted into the injector body. Evidence of propagation of the nozzle oscillations to the liquid sprays was obtained by recording high-speed videos of the near-nozzle diesel jet, and computing the fast Fourier transform for a number of pixel locations at the interface of the jets. This 6-7.5 kHz frequency peak is proposed to be the

There is a high demand for 3D multiphoton imaging in neuroscience and other fields but scanning in axial direction presents technical challenges. We developed a focusing technique based on a remote movable mirror that is conjugate to the specimen plane and translated by a voice coil motor. We constructed cost-effective z-scanning modules from off-the-shelf components that can be mounted onto standard multiphoton laser scanning microscopes to extend scan patterns from 2D to 3D. Systems were designed for large objectives and provide high resolution, high speed and a large z-scan range (>300 μm). We used these systems for 3D multiphoton calcium imaging in the adult zebrafish brain and measured odor-evoked activity patterns across >1500 neurons with single-neuron resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. PMID:27231612

Measurements of whole body surface area (WBSA) have important applications in numerous fields including biological anthropology, clinical medicine, biomechanics, and sports science. Currently, WBSA is most often estimated using predictive equations due to the complex and time consuming methods required for direct measurement. The main aim of this study was to identify whether there were significant and meaningful differences between WBSA measurements taken using a whole body three-dimensional (3D) scanner (criterion measure) and the estimates derived from each WBSA equation identified from a systematic review. The study also aimed to determine whether differences varied according to body mass index (BMI), sex, or athletic status. Fifteen WBSA equations were compared with direct measurements taken on 1,714 young adult subjects, aged 18-30 years, using the Vitus Smart 3D whole body scanner, including 1,452 subjects (753 males, 699 females) from the general Australian population and 262 rowers (148 males, 114 females). Mixed-design analysis of variances determined significant differences and accuracy was quantified using Bland-Altman analysis and effect sizes. Thirteen of the 15 equations overestimated WBSA. With a few exceptions, equations were accurate with a low-systematic error (bias ≤2%) and low-random error (standard deviation of the differences 1.5-3.0%). However, BMI did have a substantial impact with the accuracy of some WBSA equations varying between the four BMI categories. The Shuter and Aslani: Eur J Appl Physiol 82 (2000) 250-254 equation was identified as the most accurate equation and should be used for Western populations 18-30 years of age. Care must be taken when deciding which equation to use when estimating WBSA.

A metrology system combining three laser speckle measurement techniques for simultaneous determination of 3D shape and micro- and macroscopic deformations is presented. While microscopic deformations are determined by a combination of Digital Holographic Interferometry (DHI) and Digital Speckle Photography (DSP), macroscopic 3D shape, position and deformation are retrieved by photogrammetry based on digital image correlation of a projected laser speckle pattern. The photogrammetrically obtained data extend the measurement range of the DHI-DSP system and also increase the accuracy of the calculation of the sensitivity vector. Furthermore, a precise assignment of microscopic displacements to the object’s macroscopic shape for enhanced visualization is achieved. The approach allows for fast measurements with a simple setup. Key parameters of the system are optimized, and its precision and measurement range are demonstrated. As application examples, the deformation of a mandible model and the shrinkage of dental impression material are measured. PMID:26713197

Since most starting materials for tissue engineering are in powder form, using powder-based additive manufacturing methods is attractive and practical. The principal point of employing additive manufacturing (AM) systems is to fabricate parts with arbitrary geometrical complexity with relatively minimal tooling cost and time. Selective laser sintering (SLS) and inkjet 3D printing (3DP) are two powerful and versatile AM techniques which are applicable to powder-based material systems. Hence, the latest state of knowledge available on the use of AM powder-based techniques in tissue engineering and their effect on mechanical and biological properties of fabricated tissues and scaffolds must be updated. Determining the effective setup of parameters, developing improved biocompatible/bioactive materials, and improving the mechanical/biological properties of laser sintered and 3D printed tissues are the three main concerns which have been investigated in this article.

A metrology system combining three laser speckle measurement techniques for simultaneous determination of 3D shape and micro- and macroscopic deformations is presented. While microscopic deformations are determined by a combination of Digital Holographic Interferometry (DHI) and Digital Speckle Photography (DSP), macroscopic 3D shape, position and deformation are retrieved by photogrammetry based on digital image correlation of a projected laser speckle pattern. The photogrammetrically obtained data extend the measurement range of the DHI-DSP system and also increase the accuracy of the calculation of the sensitivity vector. Furthermore, a precise assignment of microscopic displacements to the object's macroscopic shape for enhanced visualization is achieved. The approach allows for fast measurements with a simple setup. Key parameters of the system are optimized, and its precision and measurement range are demonstrated. As application examples, the deformation of a mandible model and the shrinkage of dental impression material are measured.

Since most starting materials for tissue engineering are in powder form, using powder-based additive manufacturing methods is attractive and practical. The principal point of employing additive manufacturing (AM) systems is to fabricate parts with arbitrary geometrical complexity with relatively minimal tooling cost and time. Selective laser sintering (SLS) and inkjet 3D printing (3DP) are two powerful and versatile AM techniques which are applicable to powder-based material systems. Hence, the latest state of knowledge available on the use of AM powder-based techniques in tissue engineering and their effect on mechanical and biological properties of fabricated tissues and scaffolds must be updated. Determining the effective setup of parameters, developing improved biocompatible/bioactive materials, and improving the mechanical/biological properties of laser sintered and 3D printed tissues are the three main concerns which have been investigated in this article.

Since most starting materials for tissue engineering are in powder form, using powder-based additive manufacturing methods is attractive and practical. The principal point of employing additive manufacturing (AM) systems is to fabricate parts with arbitrary geometrical complexity with relatively minimal tooling cost and time. Selective laser sintering (SLS) and inkjet 3D printing (3DP) are two powerful and versatile AM techniques which are applicable to powder-based material systems. Hence, the latest state of knowledge available on the use of AM powder-based techniques in tissue engineering and their effect on mechanical and biological properties of fabricated tissues and scaffolds must be updated. Determining the effective setup of parameters, developing improved biocompatible/bioactive materials, and improving the mechanical/biological properties of laser sintered and 3D printed tissues are the three main concerns which have been investigated in this article. PMID:27877783

We evaluated the performance of the ECAT EXACT HR+ 3-D whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) scanner when employed to measure brain function using H2(15)O bolus activation protocols that are completed in single same-day data acquisition sessions. Using vibrotactile and auditory stimuli as independent activation tasks, we studied the scanner performance under different imaging conditions in five healthy volunteers. Cerebral blood flow images were acquired from each volunteer using H2(15)O bolus injections of activity varying from 5-20 mCi. One-session dose-fractionation strategies were analyzed for rCBF, standard activity-concentration, switched, and cold-bolus/switched protocols. Performance characteristics. The scanner dead time grew linearly with injected dose from 10% to 25%. Random events varied from 30% to 50% of the detected events. Random and scattered events were corrected adequately at all doses. Estimated noise-effective-count curves plateau at about 10 mCi. One-session 12-injection bolus PET activation protocols. Using an acquisition protocol that accounts for the scanner performance and the practical aspects of imaging volunteers and neurological patients in a single same-day session, we assessed the correlation between the significance of activation foci and the dose/injection used. The one-session protocol employs 12 bolus injections/subject. We present evidence suggesting that when an rCBF protocol is used, image noise is reduced significantly when the activity injected increases from 5 to 10 mCi. Increasing the dose from 10 to 15 or 20 mCi yielded further but smaller reductions. Our observations also suggest that image noise will be strongly reduced if a 20-mCi dose/injection is used when data are collected using protocols that employ long acquisition times such as a switched or a cold-bolus/switched protocol.

In the last years, mid-infrared radiation emitted by CO2 lasers has become increasing popular as a tool in the development of long-period fiber gratings. However, although the development and characterization of the resulting sensing devices have progressed quickly, further research is still necessary to consolidate functional models, especially regarding the interaction between laser radiation and the fiber's material. In this paper, a 3D finite element model is presented to simulate the interaction between laser radiation and an optical fiber and to determine the resulting refractive index change. Dependence with temperature of the main parameters of the optical fiber materials (with special focus on the absorption of incident laser radiation) is considered, as well as convection and radiation losses. Thermal and residual stress analyses are made for a standard single mode fiber, and experimental results are presented.

In the last years, mid-infrared radiation emitted by CO2 lasers has become increasing popular as a tool in the development of long-period fiber gratings. However, although the development and characterization of the resulting sensing devices have progressed quickly, further research is still necessary to consolidate functional models, especially regarding the interaction between laser radiation and the fiber's material. In this paper, a 3D finite element model is presented to simulate the interaction between laser radiation and an optical fiber and to determine the resulting refractive index change. Dependence with temperature of the main parameters of the optical fiber materials (with special focus on the absorption of incident laser radiation) is considered, as well as convection and radiation losses. Thermal and residual stress analyses are made for a standard single mode fiber, and experimental results are presented. PMID:23941908

Nonlinear growth of 3-D broadband nonuniformities was measured near saturation levels using x-ray radiography in planar foils accelerated by laser light. The initial target modulations were seeded by laser nonuniformities and later amplified during acceleration by Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The nonlinear saturation velocities are measured for the first time and are found to be in excellent agreement with Haan predictions. The measured growth of long-wavelength modes is consistent with enhanced, nonlinear, long-wavelength generation in ablatively driven targets.

A confocal laser scanning microscope (with a 543 nm laser) was used for imaging rat Purkinje cell dendritic spines at high 3-D resolution. In a nutritionally controlled study of the rat, 5 months of ethanol consumption was demonstrated to alter the spines of Purkinje cell dendrites in rat cerebellum. Intact spines showed significant elongation after ethanol exposure, whereas this neuromorphological alteration could not be detected in controls. Spine elongation could be regarded as compensative growth of spines in search of new synaptic contacts due to alcohol induced cell loss.

This report describes the physics, code formulations, and numerics that are used in the TECATE (totally Eulerian code for anisotropic thermo-elasticity) and BREW (birefringent ray-tracing of electromagnetic waves) codes for laser design. These codes resolve thermal, stress, and birefringent optical effects in 3-D stationary solid-state systems. This suite of three constituent codes is a package referred to as LASRPAK.

The femtosecond laser ablated morphology on titanium surface is investigated theoretically and experimentally. A three dimensional two temperature model (3D-TTM) is used to simulate the surface morphology of titanium sample which is irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses. The electron heat capacity and electron-phonon coupling coefficient of titanium (transition metal) are complex temperature dependent, so the two parameters are corrected based on the theory of electron density of states (DOS). The model is solved by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The 3D temperature field near the target surface is achieved. The radius and depth of the ablated crater are obtained based on the temperature field. The evolutions of the crate's radius and depth with laser fluence are discussed and compared with the experimental results. It is found that the back-flow of the molten material and the deposition of the material vapor should be responsible for the little discrepancy between the simulated and experimental results. The present work makes a better understanding of the thermodynamic process of femtosecond laser ablating metal and meanwhile provides an effective method tool to predict the micro manufacturing process on metals with femtosecond laser.

The use of digital holographic interferometry for 3D measurements using simultaneously three illumination directions was demonstrated by Saucedo et al. (Optics Express 14(4) 2006). The technique records two consecutive images where each one contains three holograms in it, e.g., one before the deformation and one after the deformation. A short coherence length laser must be used to obtain the simultaneous 3D information from the same laser source. In this manuscript we present an extension of this technique now illuminating simultaneously with three different lasers at 458, 532 and 633 nm, and using only one high resolution monochrome CMOS sensor. This new configuration gives the opportunity to use long coherence length lasers allowing the measurement of large object areas. A series of digital holographic interferograms are recorded and the information corresponding to each laser is isolated in the Fourier spectral domain where the corresponding phase difference is calculated. Experimental results render the orthogonal displacement components u, v and w during a simple load deformation.

In the presented work unmanned vehicles are used for an extra-terrestrial exploration mission. In this scenario a high factor of redundancy for all systems has to be considered. Defective sensors for instance cannot be repaired and any damage has to be compensated through an intelligent use of the remaining sensors and a robust data fusion. Therefore this work proposes the utilization of a singlelayer laserscanner, which is used for Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) for the compensation of a defective relative positioning system. An Extended Kalman-Filter (EKF) with error states is used to perform the loosely coupled integration of the estimated states and the measured relative position in discrete updates. Subsequently the improvement of the navigation solution onboard an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) can be estimated. The outcomes of a specifically developed simulation will be shown, delivering theoretic results for the proposed method. A flight test is done finally in order to prove the capability of the laserscanner to detect and locate an UAV.

The extraction of true terrain points from unstructured laser point cloud data is an important process in order to produce an accurate digital terrain model (DTM). However, most of these spatial filtering methods just utilizing the geometrical data to discriminate the terrain points from nonterrain points. The point cloud filtering method also can be improved by using the spectral information available with some scanners. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using the three-channel (red, green and blue) of the colour image captured from built-in digital camera which is available in some Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS) for terrain extraction. In this study, the data acquisition was conducted at a mini replica landscape in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai campus using Leica ScanStation C10. The spectral information of the coloured point clouds from selected sample classes are extracted for spectral analysis. The coloured point clouds which within the corresponding preset spectral threshold are identified as that specific feature point from the dataset. This process of terrain extraction is done through using developed Matlab coding. Result demonstrates that a higher spectral resolution passive image is required in order to improve the output. This is because low quality of the colour images captured by the sensor contributes to the low separability in spectral reflectance. In conclusion, this study shows that, spectral information is capable to be used as a parameter for terrain extraction.

In mobile terrestrial hyperspectral imaging, individual trees often present large variations in spectral reflectance that may impact the relevant applications, but the related studies have been seldom reported. To fill this gap, this study was dedicated to investigating the spectral reflectance characteristics of individual trees with a Sensei mobile mapping system, which comprises a Specim line spectrometer and an Ibeo Lux laserscanner. The addition of the latter unit facilitates recording the structural characteristics of the target trees synchronously, and this is beneficial for revealing the characteristics of the spatial distributions of tree spectral reflectance with variations at different levels. Then, the parts of trees with relatively low-level variations can be extracted. At the same time, since it is difficult to manipulate the whole spectrum, the traditional concept of vegetation indices (VI) based on some particular spectral bands was taken into account here. Whether the assumed VIs capable of behaving consistently for the whole crown of each tree was also checked. The specific analyses were deployed based on four deciduous tree species and six kinds of VIs. The test showed that with the help of the laserscanner data, the parts of individual trees with relatively low-level variations can be located. Based on these parts, the relatively stable spectral reflectance characteristics for different tree species can be learnt. PMID:23877127

In order to ensure the oil palm productivity is high, plantation site should be chosen wisely. Slope is one of the essential factors that need to be taken into consideration when doing a site selection. High quality of plantation area map with elevation information is needed for decision-making especially when dealing with hilly and steep area. Therefore, accurate digital elevation models (DEMs) are required. This research aims to increase the accuracy of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) by integrating Terrestrial LaserScanner (TLS) to generate DEMs. However, the focus of this paper is to evaluate the z-value accuracy of TLS data and Real-Time Kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) as a reference. Besides, this paper studied the importance of filtering process in developing an accurate DEMs. From this study, it has been concluded that the differences of z-values between TLS and IFSAR were small if the points were located on route and when TLS data has been filtered. This paper also concludes that laserscanner (TLS) should be set up on the route to reduce elevation error.

One key challenge in the field of microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip experiments for biological or chemical applications is the remote manipulation of fluids, droplets and particles. These can be volume elements of reactants, particles coated with markers, cells or many others. Light-driven microfluidics is one way of accomplishing this challenge. In our work, we manipulated micrometre sized polystyrene beads in a microfluidic environment by inducing thermal flows. Therefore, the beads were held statically in an unstructured microfluidic chamber, containing a dyed watery solution. Inside this chamber, the beads were moved along arbitrary trajectories on a micrometre scale. The experiments were performed, using a MOEMS (micro-opto-electro-mechanical-systems)-based laserscanner with a variable focal length. This scanner system is integrated in a compact device, which is flexibly applicable to various microscope setups. The device utilizes a novel approach for varying the focal length, using an electrically tunable lens. A quasi statically driven MOEMS mirror is used for beam steering. The combination of a tunable lens and a dual axis micromirror makes the device very compact and robust and is capable of positioning the laser focus at any arbitrary location within a three dimensional working space. Hence, the developed device constitutes a valuable extension to manually executed microfluidic lab-on-chip experiments.

High-content cellomic analysis is a powerful tool for rapid screening of cellular responses to extracellular cues and examination of intracellular signal transduction pathways at the single-cell level. In conjunction with microfluidics technology that provides unique advantages in sample processing and precise control of fluid delivery, it holds great potential to transform lab-on-a-chip systems for high-throughput cellular analysis. However, high-content imaging instruments are expensive, sophisticated, and not readily accessible. Herein, we report on a laser scanning cytometry approach that exploits a bench-top microarray scanner as an end-point reader to perform rapid and automated fluorescence imaging of cells cultured on a chip. Using high-content imaging analysis algorithms, we demonstrated multiplexed measurements of morphometric and proteomic parameters from all single cells. Our approach shows the improvement of both sensitivity and dynamic range by two orders of magnitude as compared to conventional epifluorescence microscopy. We applied this technology to high-throughput analysis of mesenchymal stem cells on an extracellular matrix protein array and characterization of heterotypic cell populations. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a laser microarray scanner for high-content cellomic analysis and opens up new opportunities to conduct informative cellular analysis and cell-based screening in the lab-on-a-chip systems.

The bore-sight calibration procedure and results of a profile laserscanner using a large size exterior calibration field is presented in the paper. The task is a part of Autonomous Mapping Airship (AMA) project which aims to create s surveying system with specific properties suitable for effective surveying of medium-wide areas (units to tens of square kilometers per a day). As is obvious from the project name an airship is used as a carrier. This vehicle has some specific properties. The most important properties are high carrying capacity (15 kg), long flight time (3 hours), high operating safety and special flight characteristics such as stability of flight, in terms of vibrations, and possibility to flight at low speed. The high carrying capacity enables using of high quality sensors like professional infrared (IR) camera FLIR SC645, high-end visible spectrum (VIS) digital camera and optics in the visible spectrum and tactical grade INSGPS sensor iMAR iTracerRT-F200 and profile laserscanner SICK LD-LRS1000. The calibration method is based on direct laboratory measuring of coordinate offset (lever-arm) and in-flight determination of rotation offsets (bore-sights). The bore-sight determination is based on the minimization of squares of individual point distances from measured planar surfaces.

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) terrestrial laser scanning technologies with higher precision and higher capability are developing rapidly. The growing maturity of laser scanning has gradually approached the required precision as those have been provided by traditional structural monitoring technologies. Together with widely available fast computation for massive point cloud data processing, 3Dlaser scanning can serve as an efficient structural monitoring alternative for civil engineering communities. Currently most research efforts have focused on integrating/calculating the measured multi-station point cloud data, as well as modeling/establishing the 3D meshes of the scanned objects. Very little attention has been spent on extracting the information related to health conditions and mechanical states of structures. In this study, an automated numerical approach that integrates various existing algorithms for geometric identification and damage detection of structural elements were established. Specifically, adaptive meshes were employed for classifying the point cloud data of the structural elements, and detecting the associated damages from the calculated eigenvalues in each area of the structural element. Furthermore, kd-tree was used to enhance the searching efficiency of plane fitting which were later used for identifying the boundaries of structural elements. The results of geometric identification were compared with M3C2 algorithm provided by CloudCompare, as well as validated by LVDT measurements of full-scale reinforced concrete beams tested in laboratory. It shows that 3Dlaser scanning, through the established processing approaches of the point cloud data, can offer a rapid, nondestructive, remote, and accurate solution for geometric identification and damage detection of structural elements.

Optical waveguides with a propagation loss of around 0.5 dB/cm are written inside photosensitive Foturan glass by internal modification of refractive index using femtosecond (fs) laser. Integration of the optical wafveguides with a micromirror enables us to bend the guided laser beam at an angle of 90° with a bending loss of less than 0.3dB. In the meanwhile, a plano-convex microlens is completely embedded inside the Foturan glass chip via formation of a three-dimensional (3D) hollow microstructure using fs laser direct writing followed by heat treatment and successive wet etching. This technique can also be used to fabricate microfluidic devices and therefore realizes 3D integration of microoptical and microfluidic components by one continuous procedure. Subsequently, microoptical waveguides are further integrated into the single glass chip. Demonstration of optical measurements using the integrated microchip reveals that photonic biosensing can be performed with an efficiency increased by a factor of 8 for fluorescence detection and by a factor of 3 for absorption detection.

The combination of both, fast beam scanning systems and high repetition rate, high average power lasers, represents an interesting technological solution for surface texturing by Ultra-Short Pulses Laser to gain a foothold into industrial environment for commercial purposes. Nevertheless unwanted thermal effects are expected when the average power exceeds some tens of W. An interesting strategy for a reliable heat management would consists of texturing surfaces with a low fluence values (slightly higher than the ablation threshold) and utilising a polygon scanning head which is able to deflect the laser beam with unprecedented speed. Here we show that over stainless steel, it is possible to obtain different surface textures (in particular ripples, micro grooves and spikes) by utilising a 2 MHz femtosecond laser jointly with a fast and accurate polygonal scanner head at relatively low fluence (0.11 J·cm-2). The evolution of the Laser induced surface structures morphology is shown when varying the scan speed between 25 m·s-1 and 90 m·s-1. Two different wavelengths have been utilised for the process λ= 1030 nm and λ = 515 nm and the difference of the results obtained have been highlighted. Moreover, a full structures morphology characterization by SEM has been carried out for all the textured surfaces. Finally, by increasing the number of successive surface scans is possible to tailor the surface reflectivity. As a result an average reflectivity value of < 5% over the visible range has been extracted from a blackened stainless steel surface.

The fjords in Troms County (Northern Norway) are characterized by deeply incised and steep glacier valleys and plateaus situated at an elevation around 500 and 800 m above sea level. On the eastern flank of Storfjorden several large slope instabilities developed, like the complex rockslides at Nordnes or Revdalsfjellet. The Revdalsfjellet site is located on the edge of the plateau at an altitude of 670 m. The complex slide area faces towards the NW and is 330 m wide and 175 m deep. Its height and consequently its volume cannot be estimated since the basal failure surface is not visible in the field. The unstable area is delimited by a back-scar towards the SE and by a lateral fault to the NE. D-GPS measurements since 2005 and DInSAR measurements indicate annual displacements of less than 1 cm. Two terrestrial laser scanning surveys were made in August 2007 and August 2008. The Revdalsfjellet rockslide was scanned from six viewpoints around the main escarpment. The TLS scans were cleaned from unwanted points (vegetation), co-registred and georeferenced using GPS points of the scan locations. The united TLS point clouds (approximately 20 million points) cover the entire accessible and visible area of the site. The average point spacing equals 40 to 45 mm at a mean distance of 100 m between the scanner and the object. A high-resolution digital elevation model derived from the TLS point cloud was used for a detailed geomorphic analysis of the rockslide plateau, which is detached from the stable surrounding plateau by a 13 to 15 m high, 60° steep back-scar created by past slope movements. The NE-bounding fault and past displacements likely led to higher fracturing of the rock mass and preferential erosion along the fault. This explains the deeply incised, 33 m wide ravine separating the unstable area from the NE-bounding cliff. The TLS point cloud enabled a structural characterization of the Revdalsfjellet rockslide using the Coltop3D software, which computes the

A protocol for determining structural resolution using a potentially-traceable reference material is proposed. Where possible, terminology was selected to conform to those published in ISO JCGM 200:2008 (VIM) and ASTM E 2544-08 documents. The concepts of resolvability and edge width are introduced to more completely describe the ability of an optical non-contact 3D imaging system to resolve small features. A distinction is made between 3D range cameras, that obtain spatial data from the total field of view at once, and 3D range scanners, that accumulate spatial data for the total field of view over time. The protocol is presented through the evaluation of a 3Dlaser line range scanner.

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) electrode architectures have attracted great interest for the development of lithium-ion micro-batteries applicable for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), sensors, and hearing aids. Since commercial available micro-batteries are mainly limited in overall cell capacity by their electrode footprint, new processing strategies for increasing both capacity and electrochemical performance have to be developed. In case of such standard microbatteries, two-dimensional (2D) electrode arrangements are applied with thicknesses up to 200 μm. These electrode layers are composed of active material, conductive agent, graphite, and polymeric binder. Nevertheless, with respect to the type of active material, the active material to conductive agent ratio, and the film thickness, such thick-films suffer from low ionic and electronic conductivities, poor electrolyte accessibility, and finally, limited electrochemical performance under challenging conditions. In order to overcome these drawbacks, 3D electrode arrangements are under intense investigation since they allow the reduction of lithium-ion diffusion pathways in between inter-digitated electrodes, even for electrodes with enhanced mass loadings. In this paper, we present how to combine laser-printing and femtosecond laser-structuring for the development of advanced 3D electrodes composed of Li(Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3)O2 (NMC). In a first step, NMC thick-films were laser-printed and calendered to achieve film thicknesses in the range of 50 μm - 80 μm. In a second step, femtosecond laser-structuring was carried out in order to generate 3D architectures directly into thick-films. Finally, electrochemical cycling of laser-processed films was performed in order to evaluate the most promising 3D electrode designs suitable for application in long life-time 3D micro-batteries.

Background Manual anthropometric measurements are time-consuming and challenging to perform within acceptable intra- and inter-individual error margins in large studies. Three-dimensional (3D) laser body scanners provide a fast and precise alternative: within a few seconds the system produces a 3D image of the body topography and calculates some 150 standardised body size measurements. Objective The aim was to enhance the small number of existing validation studies and compare scan and manual techniques based on five selected measurements. We assessed the agreement between two repeated measurements within the two methods, analysed the direct agreement between the two methods, and explored the differences between the techniques when used in regressions assessing the effect of health related determinants on body shape indices. Methods We performed two repeated body scans on 123 volunteering young men using a Vitus Smart XXL body scanner. We manually measured height, waist, hip, buttock, and chest circumferences twice for each participant according to the WHO guidelines. The participants also filled in a basic questionnaire. Results Mean differences between the two scan measurements were smaller than between the two manual measurements, and precision as well as intra-class correlation coefficients were higher. Both techniques were strongly correlated. When comparing means between both techniques we found significant differences: Height was systematically shorter by 2.1 cm, whereas waist, hip and bust circumference measurements were larger in the scans by 1.17–4.37 cm. In consequence, body shape indices also became larger and the prevalence of overweight was greater when calculated from the scans. Between 4.1% and 7.3% of the probands changed risk category from normal to overweight when classified based on the scans. However, when employing regression analyses the two measurement techniques resulted in very similar coefficients, confidence intervals, and p

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a tungsten eye-shield on the dose distribution of a patient. Methods: A 3Dscanner was used to extract the dimension and shape of a tungsten eye-shield in the STL format. Scanned data was transferred into a 3D printer. A dummy eye shield was then produced using bio-resin (3D systems, VisiJet M3 Proplast). For a patient with mucinous carcinoma, the planning CT was obtained with the dummy eye-shield placed on the patient’s right eye. Field shaping of 6 MeV was performed using a patient-specific cerrobend block on the 15 x 15 cm{sup 2} applicator. The gantry angle was 330° to cover the planning target volume near by the lens. EGS4/BEAMnrc was commissioned from our measurement data from a Varian 21EX. For the CT-based dose calculation using EGS4/DOSXYZnrc, the CT images were converted to a phantom file through the ctcreate program. The phantom file had the same resolution as the planning CT images. By assigning the CT numbers of the dummy eye-shield region to 17000, the real dose distributions below the tungsten eye-shield were calculated in EGS4/DOSXYZnrc. In the TPS, the CT number of the dummy eye-shield region was assigned to the maximum allowable CT number (3000). Results: As compared to the maximum dose, the MC dose on the right lens or below the eye shield area was less than 2%, while the corresponding RTP calculated dose was an unrealistic value of approximately 50%. Conclusion: Utilizing a 3Dscanner and a 3D printer, a dummy eye-shield for electron treatment can be easily produced. The artifact-free CT images were successfully incorporated into the CT-based Monte Carlo simulations. The developed method was useful in predicting the realistic dose distributions around the lens blocked with the tungsten shield.

In this study, we describe the formation mechanism of web-like three-dimensional (3-D) titania nanofibrous structures during femtosecond laser ablation of titanium (Ti) targets in the presence of background air. First, we demonstrate the mechanism of ablation of Ti targets by multiple femtosecond laser pulses at ambient air in an explicit analytical form. The formulas for evaporation rates and the number of ablated particles, which is analogous to the deposition rate of the synthesized nanofibers, for the ablation by a single pulse and multiple pulses as a function of laser parameters, background gas, and material properties are predicted and compared to experimental results. Afterwards, the formation of nanofibrous structures is demonstrated by applying an existing simplified kinetic model to Ti targets and ambient conditions. The predicted theory provides nanofiber diameter dependency with the combination of laser parameters, target properties, and ambient gas characteristics. Experimental studies are then performed on titania nanofibrous structures synthesized by laser ablation of Ti targets using MHz repletion-rate femtosecond laser at ambient air. The models' predictions are then compared with the experimental results, where nanostructures with different morphologies are manufactured by altering laser parameters. Our results indicate that femtosecond laser ablation of Ti targets at air background yields crystalline titania nanostructures. The formation of crystalline titania nanostructures is preceded by thermal mechanism of nucleation and growth. The results point out that laser pulse repetition and dwell time can control the density, size, and pore size of the engineered nanofibrous structure. As the deposition rate of nanostructures is analogous to the ablation rate of the target, higher density of nanofibrous structure is seen at greater laser fluences. The predicted theory can be applied to predict ablation mechanism and nanofiber formation of different

As image guided surgical procedures become increasingly diverse, there will be more scenarios where point-based fiducials cannot be accurately localized for registration and rigid body assumptions no longer hold. As a result, procedures will rely more frequently on anatomical surfaces for the basis of image alignment and will require intraoperative geometric data to measure and compensate for tissue deformation in the organ. In this paper we outline methods for which a laser range scanner may be used to accomplish these tasks intraoperatively. A laser range scanner based on the optical principle of triangulation acquires a dense set of three-dimensional point data in a very rapid, noncontact fashion. Phantom studies were performed to test the ability to link range scan data with traditional modes of image-guided surgery data through localization, registration, and tracking in physical space. The experiments demonstrate that the scanner is capable of localizing point-based fiducials to within 0.2 mm and capable of achieving point and surface based registrations with target registration error of less than 2.0 mm. Tracking points in physical space with the range scanning system yields an error of 1.4 +/- 0.8 mm. Surface deformation studies were performed with the range scanner in order to determine if this device was capable of acquiring enough information for compensation algorithms. In the surface deformation studies, the range scanner was able to detect changes in surface shape due to deformation comparable to those detected by tomographic image studies. Use of the range scanner has been approved for clinical trials, and an initial intraoperative range scan experiment is presented. In all of these studies, the primary source of error in range scan data is deterministically related to the position and orientation of the surface within the scanner's field of view. However, this systematic error can be corrected, allowing the range scanner to provide a rapid, robust

Methane is both an alternative energy source as well as a significant greenhouse gas, and holds the potential for rapid release to the atmosphere, possibly triggering abrupt climate change in the past and in the future. The majority of methane on the Earth is biogenic, originating from microbial methanogenesis, or thermogenic sourced from previously formed biogenic organic materials. Methane can be also produced abiogenically during serpentinization and even mantle-sourced methane has been implicated. Carbon (13C/12C) and hydrogen (D/H) isotope ratios of methane and associated short chain hydrocarbons provide critical information about the abiogenic/biogenic origin of methane but data can be inconclusive. We have developed and tested a Tunable Infrared Laser Direct Absorption Spectroscopy (TILDAS) Instrument to be used for precise measurements of the abundance of doubly isotope-substituted methane (13CH3D). The TILDAS instrument measures direct absorption in the mid-infrared (~ 8 μm) region using continuous wave quantum cascade laser combined with a 76 m pathlength astigmatic absorption cell. Initial test result indicates the precision for 13CH4, 12CH3D and 13CH3D for 0.2 ‰ or better for comparison between two reference gases. Accuracy of the methods for δ13C and δD is evaluated by comparing measurements by conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Calibration of clumped isotope scale (δ13CH3D) is underway using methane produced at various temperatures. Following an isotope exchange reaction (13CH4 + 12CH3D ↔ 13CH3D + 12CH4), precise measurements of 13CH3D abundance is expected to provide new and critical information about the temperature at which methane was formed (or thermally equilibrated). Biogenic origin becomes highly unlikely, for example, if the estimated tempera